26th April, 2013 For the umpteenth time I raked my eyes over the eight-storey building now in rubbles, and for the first time spotted something I hadn’t before. Lying there, on a bloody stretcher was my sister- her face so indistinguishable, yet so familiar. Her lips pale, and her body lifeless. ‘Another dead body!’ shouted a man. My eyes turned wide and mother’s trembling hand on my shoulder froze. My legs automatically darted towards the frail, limp body engulfed in a myriad of people, mother following suit. I held up her picture, once I’d gotten close to the people who seemed to be in charge and showed it to them. A tall, bearded man shot me a sympathetic look as I allowed the tears to now sway down my cheeks without resistance. 12th May, 2040 In these modern days of 2040, buildings and large structures are made with so much meticulous precision and care that not a single crack can be seen. Work environments are immaculate and the workers are treated like precious people. With Bangladesh now amongst the most advanced countries in the world, the citizens are never depressed. Garment factory workers like us are treated with respect and care. The encouraging government has rendered a huge increase in the country’s literacy rate, and the citizens are now more conscious about the events occurring in the country and worldwide. The now more climate conscious Bangladesh has shown a huge amount of interest in using solar power and has even initiated to build its own anti-global warming weapons. The once vulnerable country is now armed with deadly weapons- ready to attack anyone with the intention of harming this developed country. Conflicts within the country are now events occurring once in a blue moon, with the opposing political parties having the best interests of the citizens in mind and hesitant to cause distress in the peaceful country. With the country becoming wealthier and more advanced as the years pass by, Bangladesh’s economical and financial state has never been better. Every cloud really does have a silver lining. The collapse of Rana Plaza that had taken the lives of so many innocent citizens seemed to be somewhat of a revolution. The downfall of that eight- storey garment factory had somewhat proved publicly the state Bangladesh was in at the time- broken. I blink back the tears building in my eyes as I enter the garment factory through the automatic doors and look back up through the windows at the strong, not to mention perfectly safe, skyscrapers and wish that my sister Rumana would have been alongside me in witnessing this rapid alteration of Bangladesh, knowing that in this new era, a single life counts and that this newly refined and developed country would goto any lengths to save it.
Condensed from the original by Samiha Mahbub, Green Gems International School