ASSAIGNMENT ON

IMPACT OF CURRENT POLITICAL SITUATION ON HEALTH, ECONOMY & PHYCHO-SOCIAL FACTOR

SUBMITTED TO

Dr. Marzia Zaman Sultana

Assistant professor

Department of Social Relations

SUBMITTED BY

Sabrina Sultana Tonny

ID- 2013-2-10-023

DATE OF SUBMISSION

18th March, 2015

1. INTRODUCTION

Bangladesh revealed as a free country in the world map in 1971. From then Bangladesh saw many political ups & down. Before independence politics was for welfare of the general people. But the matter of regret is by the passage of time politics become a money making field rather than welfare of society. Whoever possessing the power are misusing his/her power to fulfill own interest. That’s why there is always a confliction between the governing political party & opposition party. Hartal or strike is used for political purpose by the opposition party. When they disagree about any issue they call for hartal as an act of constitutionally sanctioned right rather than negotiate with government in parliament. Historically, calls for hartals in Bangladesh are made by major political parties when they lose their grip on positions of power which has become economical terrorism.

2. DEFINATION OF HARTAL

Hartal is a form of protest against the authorities to realize certain demands or to demonstrate disapproval of certain actions of those against whom the hartal is directed. Political hartal is different in nature and takes place on political issues that certain the whole nation and raise public conscience for or against the demands at issue. After the independence of the country and the emergence of Bangladesh the context has changed and the protection and promotion of the national interest have become the supreme concern for each and every citizen and more so for all political parties and the leaders in a where the government is not formed through the constitutional process by a fare and free election, hartal is recognized as a legitimate instrument to demonstrate people’s protest against and disapproval of an democratic government.

3. EFFECTS OF HARTAL

Hartal politics has become a part of our life. The frequent hartals and work stoppages have

been view from different angles. Frequently hartals generally disrupt the normal life.

Moreover, the poor suffers more during the hartal as they live on daily income. The mass

people are affected very much in hartal. They can’t go to their work. Sometimes they are

facing some urgent problem but they can’t go outside. Entire education system becomes

paralyzed. If they go outside, they become the victim of hartal. During the period of hartal,

the product can’t come in town, for this reason market prize of products is increased.

During the hartal period mass people are sufferer.

although political party claim that they call for hartal to preserve people’s right or so called

democracy, this kind of protest basically hamper those people’s life.

4. OBJECTIVES

Every study there have must some objectives by which the study could be search its absolute pathways. So, there are some specific objectives in my study

4.1. Impact of current political situation on economy

4.2. Impact of current political situation on health

4.3. Impact of current political situation on socio-psychology

4.1. IMPACT OF CURRENT POLITICAL SITUATION ON ECONOMY

The most affected field on the economy are in the business sector especially in RMG sector,

export import oriented among the adverse effect. Decrease of normal transaction in bank results

a huge amount of liquidity stored at every branch of commercial bank that creates high risks in

operating banking activities during hartal. An analysis of the UNDP data on hartals show that

between 1947 and 2002 an estimated 1,172 hartals were observed in Bangladesh, while 611 of

them took place from 1995 to 2002 since democracy in the country

.

WORKLESS DAY LABOURER

4.1.1. SUFFERINGS OF DAY LABOURERS

Hartal or blockade is political activity but it affects most poor population like day laborers. The day labor is a person who gives manual labor everyday for income by involving in much kind of activities on a day to day basis like-Rickshaw-puller, small vendors on the footpath and slum dwellers.

A day labor works hard from dawn to dusk and gets his wages at evening. Sometimes he and his family go without food if he can’t manage work. The rickshaw pullers, poor footpath vendors, small shopkeepers have been mostly affected in hartal.

During the period of hartal, they can’t go their work. For this purpose they can’t earn money. Their income is very limited which is not sufficient to maintain their family and they can’t teach their children properly. As their income is very little, they cannot save money for future. So during hartal or blockade they have to pass their days by starving.

AGRICULTURE IS AT STAKE

4.1.2. UNDERPRICE AGRICULTURE PRODUCTS

Now entire agriculture is falling down. Farmers have stopped selling vegetables since they do not get enough prices to meet up production cost let alone profit. Middlemen are offering low prices to farmer telling that transportation cost has been increased because a lack of transport movement.

Another reason for under price, farmer says that they get low prices for vegetables such as beans, gourds& potatoes as the number of wholesalers is low in the market.

To avoid this loss farmer are harvesting their crops, vegetables after the time so that vegetable would not rotten. Consequence is the quality of vegetables also falls because they don’t harvest in time. To avoid rotten farmer apply artificial process to preserve vegetables like chemicals, formalin.

PRICE HIKE & ROTTEN VEGETABLES

4.1.3. PRICE HIKE

The prices of essential commodities also go up due to disruption in the supply chain. Transportation system has been eventually broken down. That’s why the prices of onions, potatoes and some vegetables go up for inadequate supply, according to Trading Corporation of Bangladesh.

Street vendors, hawkers and roadside retail shops also have low sales.one roadside retailer who sells cigarettes, betel leaves and candies on a footpath near Farmgate, said his sales drop to Tk 900 a day during hartal, from Tk 1,200 on a normal day.

Prices of essencials, especially vegetables & fish have been increased with the sufferings of low and middle groups. Goods from outlying areas could not reach the capital timely due to hartal, price witnessed a fresh hike because of the transportation problem caused shutdown.

HAMPERED TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM

4.1.4. IMPACT ON TRADE & COMMERCE

Hartal affects the entire production and supply chain. Manufacturers had to cut production to avoid jam at warehouses. The recent shutdown affected production in factories as all workers cannot attend work.

Exporters have to ship export consignments regularly. But they cannot send clothes for shipment in the hartal days or blockade days. Trucks carrying finished items either are torched on the way to the Chittagong Port for shipment or escape the violence during the hartal and waiting a long time on the way for blockade.

At Chittagong Port, the shutdown caused a dip in delivery of imported products, forcing importers to count huge losses for overstay of their imported goods in the port yards.

4.2. IMPACT ON PHYCHO-SOCIETY

The impact of hartal on society reflected strongly. Hartals have a very or somehow negative

effect. Hartal hampered business and disruptions to everyday life. Especially day laborer and

middle lower income people, who are less financially solvent, are most affected by hartals

due to loss in income and increase of their expenditures. Students were also affected by hartal.

According to UNDP as type of negative impact on society disruption of morbidity is 40%,

disruption of everyday life is 19% & work is 16%.

IMPACT ON EDUCATION

4.2.1. IMPACT ON EDUCATION SYSTEM

Hartal had a very or somewhat negative impact on education. Hartal prevent student from

attending classes which is creating increased pressure on them later on their studies and at

exam time. The major impact of hartal is the reschedulement of exams resulting in delays in

finishing semester or course session. To complete their syllabus they have to attend class on

holidays. Hartal delayed education, which can have severe long term effects on younger

people’s future prospects.

Moreover frequently reschedule of SSC & HSC exam also effects the preparation of the

students and for this reason results also be affected.

According to UNDP report, 97% of their respondents felt that hartal have negative effect on

education system.

TRUMATIC CHILD BESIDE HER FATHER

.

4.2.3. MESS & FEAR IN SOCIETY

People are social beings and hartal affect individuals as well as society as a whole. Disruption

in mobility and financial loss in terms of increase in expenditures and decreases in income are

perceived to be the major effect of hartal on personal life.

Children of city are also affected because unscheduled vacation is enforced at school, going

out for playing is also restricted. Small flats in the capital are now their only world of

movement. Those who have small corridors that are only place to see the outer world. 69

lakh children have been passing days in such situation for last 2 months.

Psychologists say the children have been isolated from the world of reality. Computer, tv are

their only option. But on tv screen petrol bomb, cocktail & burn unit views are seen which

can affect their mental health deeply.

INJURED PEOPLE

4.3. IMPACT ON PHYSICAL HEALTH

Current political situation not only effect physical health but also mental health. Previously during hartal clashes occurred among political parties & cops. But in recent time the main victim literally main target of hartal are general people. Picketers are willingly throwing petrol bomb in public transport. Many people are being burnt. The numbers of patient of burn unit are increasing day by day.

Moreover many people are being injured by the attack of cocktail. Chase and counter-chase take place between political parties & cops where many people are beaten.

PIKETING ON VIHECLE

4.3.1. RISK OF WORKING WOMEN

According to UNDP report 1% of their respondent felt that women are affected by the hartal. This low figure could be attributing to the fact that they may focus on economic impact rather than non- economic impact. But the fact is many women working outside the home like garment workers, female students, corporate women are taking risk to go to their workplace.

Every day we heard even one victim of hartal who is women because they are in great insecurity.

CHILDREN IN BURN UNIT

4.3.2. VULNARABLECHILDREN HEALTH

Heinous attack like picketing with petrol bomb, cocktail during hartal become a way for political party to make successful hartal in recent time. But in that time many children have also been affected or injured by petrol bomb or cocktail attacks. On the time of board exam many SSC examinees fall victim to picketing or bomb attack.

Doctors said there are many students in hospital who are now undergoing treatments, would not able to attend in SSC examinations.

Besides, some other children are now undergoing treatment at various hospitals including Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Such attacks have put the lives of children at stake.

The most shocking news is that these kind of dangerous attacks like picketing with petrol bomb, cocktail are done by poor children who suppose to sell flower or hawking many things like popcorn, newspaper on the road by giving them 200 /300 tk for every throwing. This kind of risky illegal activity can endanger their lives. It is not only endangering their lives but also keep a long term bad effect on their mind.

5. REFFERENCE

www.cyberbangladesh.org/ethics.html www.dailysun.com http://www.dhakatribune.com/politics/2013/oct/27/trade-bodies-fear-fallout-political-

situation#sthash.mkKjBFkr.dpuf www.daily-star.bd.com www.financial express.com UNDP BANGLADESH report 2005

CONCLUSION

The consequences of hartal in terms of economic, social and health costs are huge. While the

negative economic consequences of hartal draw a great deal of attention, its social

consequences should not be overlooked. Over a period of 52 years from 1947, about 250

deaths during hartals could be identified from newspaper reports. Over 13000 people were

injured and 10000 arrested and most often it is the poor who are victims of these conflicts.The

only way to resolve political hartals is to reach understanding and argument through dialogue

and negotiation between the government in power and the opposition to resolve the issues that

sparked off the hartals.