Welcome to the world of
Tanvir Ahmad Arjel

LAST month I went to visit my ancestral village, where I came across a grim scenario that has been going on in our society for a while. During my visit, I went to see one of my aunts, who has a 13-year-old girl. While talking to my cousin, I expressed my admiration for olden Indian Hindi songs, to which she replied that she liked today’s songs and named some of the recent numbers with crude and lurid lyrics. I was astonished hearing her comment, as I had always considered her to be one of the most modest and conservative girls I have ever seen.

Then, out of curiosity, I talked to her some more, and at one point, learnt that she had even been exposed to pornography through the cell phone of a friend, and once, of an uncle, and apparently was a regular viewer. She informed me that some of her other friends found these in their fathers’ and brothers’ mobile phones.

This reminded me of a schoolgirl I once knew. That girl, too, had confessed to watching pornography in their family computer whenever she felt lonely. Her elder brother used to collect those videos. Surprisingly, she had claimed her family to be very conservative.

These are only two incidents that I witnessed among the many going on in our declining social structure. It proves that porn has taken an epidemic proportion and is prevailing everywhere in our society, undermining our social and moral strength.

It has already been proved that the prevalence of pornography is a major reason behind juvenile delinquency, sexual harassment and assault as well as degradation of the spirit and depression of mind of the young generation.

It’s a matter of grave concern that a new dimension has been added to it through the local materials, products of the betrayal of women by their lovers.

Last year, one such video of a TV actress and her so-called husband became a sensation. It’s high time that steps are taken to stunt the spread and prevalence of pornography in our society; otherwise we will have a social and moral debacle in the offing. The government should take stringent action against its spread by enacting the stiffest laws against the vendors and producers.

Families should monitor the activities of their adolescent children, especially with their peers, while regulatory bodies and the police can work as watchdogs. Parents can also play an important role by being friendly and candid with their children in issues related to sex.

Md Tanvir Ahmad Arjel

Dhaka University