A new game has begun in Bangladesh — the game of killing people.

It’s just like The Hunger Games.

But in this game, no one makes it out alive — not even the only person who survives.

The whole country is the arena.

The ones who make it out of the borders and forget about their nationality — they’re the ones who survive.

Because in this game, you will get 10 points for murdering someone.

20 points if an assault case is filed against you.

And a bonus 10 points if the victim is a Minority.

Scared of the penalties?

Come on — no one is there to catch you.

You’ll walk like a brave warrior, searching for your next target.

Because the system will be too busy dissecting the character of your assaulted victim.

The law?

It will be busy justifying why you murdered a person.

They’ll invent various stories about the murdered — stories stitched from pure fiction.

And you’ll be forced to believe them.

Because if you don’t, they’ll lock you up for “anti-citizen behaviour.”

You’ll be titled the villain.

Welcome to the Hunger Games.

It’s not held in grand splendour in a shiny Capitol.

It is held all around the country.

You are the audience.

You are the player.

Another player chooses the next victim.

It might be you.

And the other players?

They’ll be the audience in blindfolds.

No one will help you as you scream in pain.

There will be videos — yes.

Your last scream will get millions of likes from the people of your own country.

But no one will save you.

Everyone will watch, pretending to be blind.

And the system?

They’ll say you were “engaged in politics.”

People will scroll past your viral video, chips in mouth.

They’ll say, “It’s tragic,”

But no one will come to the court to act as witness.

Not because they are scared,

But because they are blind.

In this arena, the executioners murder in silence.

The system says we are finally free.

This is FREEDOM.

And the people?

They will clap.

They will nod.

They will repeat,

“WE ARE FINALLY FREE.”

Journalists will say they can finally talk.

But on news channels, no one will telecast the games in the arena.

They’ll be too busy airing how failed the system was in the last 15 years —

And how “developed” Bangladesh has become in the last 10 months.

Meanwhile, the players are acting.

Murderers are the next superheroes.

Rapists will escape just like that — earning 20 points.

And women?

They won’t scream.

They will act blind, just like the other players.

When innocent children get burnt to death

(they’re still not the players),

The system will try to cover up its brutality.

You might make the greatest mistake of your life —

By going to school.

Because when you die, and the death rates rise alarmingly,

The system will hide your bodies and stack them in a room.

And then, they’ll tell the crowd:

“Don’t worry. It’s not that serious. We’ve got everything under control.”

It is their way of saying:

“Sit down. Don’t panic. Don’t ask questions.”

And the players will sit down.

Most of them.

And the mothers who lost their kids?

They will try to stand up —

Only to be beaten down by threats and sticks.

Some will scream for a few days.

Some will protest, with pictures and videos,

Trying to get viral on Facebook.

But this will all die down.

Because in this arena,

No one survives.

Unless you flee from the border.