Morality:
morality is a product of basic human psychological characteristics shaped over prehistorically and historical time by diachronic dialectical transactions between what individuals do and what they are supposed to do in the culture in which they live. Some principles are pan cultural: individuals are motivated to look after their own interests, to be cooperative and kind to other group members and to look after their children. The moral precepts of every society are based on these principles, but may differ according to the vicissitudes that the society has experienced. Thus the basic principles can be seen as absolute; the precepts based on them may be specific to particular societies. Moral precepts, and the laws derived from them, are mostly such as to maintain the cohesion of the society, but some have been formulated to further the interests of those in power.
The term morality can be used either 1. descriptively to refer to a code of conduct put forward by a society or, a. some other group, such as a religion, or b. accepted by an individual for her own behavior or 2. Normatively to refer to a code of conduct that, given specified conditions, would be put forward by all rational persons.
Morality in Bangladesh:
In Bangladesh, Corruption is a topic of interest and concern in academic circles, in the media, among people of different professions, within the civil service, among members of parliament, politicians, government officials, members of the business and financial communities, students, foreign investors, aid agencies and non-governmental organizations. A general impression conveyed by the media and by popular discourse is that among ordinary people in Bangladesh, corruption is viewed quite clearly as 'a way of life'. The main reason of this type of way of life is absence of morality. The main sources of morality in Bangladesh are: 1. religion 2. culture 3. education 4. laws 5. family
1. Religion:
Bangladesh is a Muslim majority country where nearly 90 percent of the people follow Islam. Our morality highly influenced by this religion. For example, in Bangladesh, people are
flogged for drinking alcohol. Qur anic teaching is clear that drinking alcohol is wrong because of the problems it leads to in society: for example, crime, violence and poor health. This morality is practiced by both muslims and non-muslim bangladeshis. To a greater or
lesser degree, women in Bangladesh are subjected to the regime of parda*, that is, customary practices through which honour and purity are preserved. This entails a regime of physical and psychological seclusion. Parda is stronger within the Muslim community and Hindu high castes.
2. Culture: Most of our moral beliefs are culturally acquired. For example, In Bangladesh there is a culture of such family system, where husband and wife stay with their children and also with their own parents. This cultural morality prohibits us from sending our parents in old homes which is a common phenomenon in western cultures. Thus our culture develops many of ours morality. 3. Education: Like every country in Bangladesh education has become the most important source of morality among the educated people. It can easily influence one persons moral values. For example, there are less tendency of getting married more than once among educated people than un-educated people. Educated male are now also against of having dowry from their in-laws. 4. Laws: Before 7 or 8 years ago acid throwing was a regular news in our daily news papers. But Bangladesh become the only country which has law about acid throwing after 2002 passing a law about it. According to this law acid thrower will be punished with death sentence and 0.1 million taka fine. This law has reduced the rate of acid throwing by affecting our morality. Thus there are many other laws which affects our morality. 5. Family: Family is the most important institution from where we learn morality. Perhaps family is the most basic and resilient structure of Bangladeshi society. it is the family which creates the actual identity of a Bangladeshi. In a family, junior members learn what he/she should do or should not do from the senior members. For example, if a little boy uses to see that his parent always quarrels with each other he could also do the same practice in his conjugal life. But on the other hand, if he see a happy conjugal life of his parent, that will help to build his positive morality. Like this, all other moralities like obeying the elders, loving the younger, not to say lie, not to cheat with anyone etc, we learn from our family.