Speaking from a place of ownership

If there's another election in Bangladesh, then hear me out—I will cast my own vote, not you. I will not sell my rights, nor will I become anyone’s slave. If you sell your vote, you're not just betraying yourself—you are enslaving millions like me. No more of this! I can't even go back to Bangladesh, because what awaits me there is humiliation and insult. Do you know why? Because I refuse to be anyone’s servant—I cannot, and I will not! We fought for our independence, not to bow down to new masters.

I was a child freedom fighter in 1971. Back then I held a weapon; now I hold a pen—and my battle continues. Today, I am a migrant remittance fighter in the 2024 movement against inequality—driving the economy of a country I love. I am the inspiration behind a new generation’s dreams, a forerunner of reform, a builder of the nation. And now you want to enslave me again? Not this time.

Are you here to serve, or to be served? I am the owner of this country. The people are the true owners. But you’ve bought votes, seized power, and turned the state into your personal property. You are not a leader—you want to be a master. You are not here to serve; you are here to extract. You come to loot the nation’s wealth, to suck the sweat and blood of its people, to chain the fate of an entire country. But not this time. This time, the people will decide what will and will not happen. The system of governance must change. We must move from a democracy in name to a true people’s democracy. Corruption must end. Dynastic politics must be dismantled. Violent politics must stop. Injustice must give way to justice.

If you truly wish to serve the people, don’t give us empty promises. Give us written commitments. Draft agreements. Sign them. Show us clearly how you plan to serve. Only then will the people consider giving you their vote.

An election will happen only when we, the people, decide. Not when corrupt political parties wish for it. Elections will happen on the people's terms—for the establishment of the people’s rights.

Do you know why Bangladesh ranks among the most corrupt countries in the world? Because you bought your way into power and turned the state into private property. Once in power, you looted national wealth, emptied banks for your own families, built palaces while leaving the people destitute. You stashed the country’s money in Swiss banks, while people back home died of hunger.

What have you done?

You looted banks and laundered money abroad.

You siphoned off thousands of crores from state projects.

You staged fake elections and rigged your way into power.

You destroyed the education system and forced the brightest minds to flee.

You turned healthcare into a business—so that even if the poor die, it doesn’t matter to you.

Shall I go on?

Now the people will decide what will and will not happen. For decades, you have ruled and exploited. Now it's the people’s turn to speak. The ownership of Bangladesh belongs to its people, not to a corrupt ruling family.

If you truly believe in democracy, then the elections must be free and fair. The people will vote—you will, I will. No one will sell their vote. No one will enslave another. This country is not anyone’s private estate—the people are the rightful owners.

Now the decision is yours: will you build the country, or sell it off? Will you serve the people, or continue exploiting them? Will you pursue clean politics, or keep nurturing corruption as before? The choice is yours. Will you change—or be cast into the dustbin of history?

There is no plea here—there is a command, a demand, a declaration of wisdom. Because I am not a slave. I am an owner of this nation.

Rahman Mridha : Researcher and Former Director, Pfizer, Sweden