Bankers' stress discouraging

The news item that 99 per cent of the bankers are suffering from occupational stress reflects one of modern-day challenges, raising concern among some other professionals. The report based on a survey confirms experts' views that health of the banking sector, which has provided white-collar jobs to around 180,000 people, is not good. The bankers have to chase 'higher targets' for deposit mobilisation, loan disbursement and recovery that are not always humanly possible and result in severe-to-dangerous levels of stress among over 50 per cent of them.

However, this is a similar trend as witnessed elsewhere. Other stressful jobs include surgeons, news reporters, military personnel, fire-fighters, police officers, senior corporate officers, teachers and catering managers. All these jobs should have instead offered a high level of satisfaction among professionals. Somehow unhealthy competition has caused too much stress in them. As Bangladesh is graduating to a middle-income country status, we need to think in advance about new challenges that should be addressed before life becomes painful.

Shafiqul Islam

Karwanbazar, Dhaka