Neglect of science causes disasters
Wednesday, 9 June 2010
Lutfor Rahman
The June 3 Nimtali fire disaster has caused death of 118 people and injury to more than 200. The disaster is mainly due to the neglect of scientific rules and regulations. There was a huge stock of chemicals in the ground floor of the building from where the fire originated and also a defective step-down transformer. Now, the common question is: how and why did it happen?
In this age of science and technology we cannot move even one step without electricity and the chemicals are also important in our life.
Electricity and chemicals are scientific terms. Chemicals are visible in many forms and colours but electricity is not visible. Chemicals are the contents of Chemistry and electricity is the content of Physics. Chemistry and Physics are two science subjects taught in schools, colleges and universities. School students are given basic ideas. The advanced courses on the subjects are taught in higher classes. There are thousands of people in the country with basic or advanced knowledge in electricity generation and proper use of chemicals. However, many of them, including those who hold PhD degrees, don't find scopes to use their expertise in serving national need related to science and technology.
In the chemistry classroom, the physical and chemical properties of the compounds are taught. When the chemicals are imported from foreign countries, the physical characteristics and properties are clearly written on the packet or on top of the boxes with some red warnings such as to keep away from fire - "Highly Flammable" or to keep them at temperature below thirty degree Celsius. The problem is: who cares for the warnings or the rules and regulations? As per reports from different corners, chemicals business in the country has proved to be one of the easiest ways of making money in the shortest time. Through the uncontrolled use of chemicals in various ways such as acid throwing, eye ointments, poisoning of fish and fruits, the concerned people make money quickly selling their conscience. The citizens, whatever may be their background -- a chemist or a university teacher -- have very little importance in social activities. Regarding electricity supply, citizens know almost nothing till a disaster like the Nimtali one happens in their locality.
The recent incident in which a brilliant student of BUET was run over by a bus shows the ignorance of the whole nation. Most of the accidents occur due to lack of scientific awareness among the drivers and the people who cross the road. The transport vehicles like bus, truck, taxi, private cars etc. are the results or outputs of scientific and technological innovations. Various kind of scientific and electronic devices have so far been invented in the world. They are mostly used for making life comfortable and reliable.
Any transport vehicle, small or big in size, carries an engine and other machines. The industries and factories also use different types of engines, machines and instruments. The main difference between the two categories is that, one is mobile and the other is fixed. For operating any machine, the operators need a short or a long training depending on the complexities and importance of the machines and engines. Driving a car, bus or truck is riskier than running any fixed machine. A driver needs to keep his eyes, legs and hands fully active and balanced. Accident may occur any time if an organ of the driver fails to work. As such a driver should have technical knowledge about the engine and other parts of the car -- at least about how it works.
The drivers must have basic education. Ignorance and negligence are the main causes of most of the accidents that we observe everyday. Unfortunately, there are hundreds of drivers in the city who are absolutely illiterate while thousands of young boys with basic knowledge of science in SSC and HSC are unemployed. Many of them are educated in the vocational schools in relevant subjects and they don't know where to sell or utilise their skills or expertise in the country. Having no scopes for gainful or proper employment, a significant number of boys with SSC vocational certificates work as day labourers but they do not get additional amounts for their academic knowledge in Chemistry, Physics, Electricity, Electronics, Civil Construction, Building maintenance, Textile engineering and many other trades. The following example will make things clear to everybody.
Rubel was cutting paddy as a day labourer in the remote village of Arpara in Gopalganj district while other students of his class were celebrating the unique result of 100 per cent success in the SSC vocational examinations at Khairunnessa Memorial Vocational School at village Ikrail of Alfadanga in Faridpur district. He has obtained "A-grade" in textile engineering discipline but he got the message from one of his classmates through mobile correspondence at the end of the day after finishing his day's work. He studied Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and the trade subjects of textile engineering like the ones studying at famous schools in the capital city. This time 31 students appeared at the SSC vocational examinations in Civil Engineering, Textile Engineering and the Building Maintenance under the Bangladesh Technical Education Board (BTEB) held in March 2010 and all of them succeeded with excellent result, the minimum result being Grade A.
As soon as his board examination was over, Rubel was hired, as usual, as a day labourer at the weekly Bhatiapara bazar. Every Friday, he is hired by different land lords. This is normal for many students of the school (not included in MPO). In every vacation, they hire themselves out for money and they earn some amount that support their family and education costs. Like many others, Rubel does not know what he will do with his SSC results. What future is waiting for him? He simply finds darkness all around.
(Prof. Lutfor Rahman, Chairman, Computer Science Department, Stamford University Bangladesh, can be reached at e-mail: lutfor@agni.com)
The June 3 Nimtali fire disaster has caused death of 118 people and injury to more than 200. The disaster is mainly due to the neglect of scientific rules and regulations. There was a huge stock of chemicals in the ground floor of the building from where the fire originated and also a defective step-down transformer. Now, the common question is: how and why did it happen?
In this age of science and technology we cannot move even one step without electricity and the chemicals are also important in our life.
Electricity and chemicals are scientific terms. Chemicals are visible in many forms and colours but electricity is not visible. Chemicals are the contents of Chemistry and electricity is the content of Physics. Chemistry and Physics are two science subjects taught in schools, colleges and universities. School students are given basic ideas. The advanced courses on the subjects are taught in higher classes. There are thousands of people in the country with basic or advanced knowledge in electricity generation and proper use of chemicals. However, many of them, including those who hold PhD degrees, don't find scopes to use their expertise in serving national need related to science and technology.
In the chemistry classroom, the physical and chemical properties of the compounds are taught. When the chemicals are imported from foreign countries, the physical characteristics and properties are clearly written on the packet or on top of the boxes with some red warnings such as to keep away from fire - "Highly Flammable" or to keep them at temperature below thirty degree Celsius. The problem is: who cares for the warnings or the rules and regulations? As per reports from different corners, chemicals business in the country has proved to be one of the easiest ways of making money in the shortest time. Through the uncontrolled use of chemicals in various ways such as acid throwing, eye ointments, poisoning of fish and fruits, the concerned people make money quickly selling their conscience. The citizens, whatever may be their background -- a chemist or a university teacher -- have very little importance in social activities. Regarding electricity supply, citizens know almost nothing till a disaster like the Nimtali one happens in their locality.
The recent incident in which a brilliant student of BUET was run over by a bus shows the ignorance of the whole nation. Most of the accidents occur due to lack of scientific awareness among the drivers and the people who cross the road. The transport vehicles like bus, truck, taxi, private cars etc. are the results or outputs of scientific and technological innovations. Various kind of scientific and electronic devices have so far been invented in the world. They are mostly used for making life comfortable and reliable.
Any transport vehicle, small or big in size, carries an engine and other machines. The industries and factories also use different types of engines, machines and instruments. The main difference between the two categories is that, one is mobile and the other is fixed. For operating any machine, the operators need a short or a long training depending on the complexities and importance of the machines and engines. Driving a car, bus or truck is riskier than running any fixed machine. A driver needs to keep his eyes, legs and hands fully active and balanced. Accident may occur any time if an organ of the driver fails to work. As such a driver should have technical knowledge about the engine and other parts of the car -- at least about how it works.
The drivers must have basic education. Ignorance and negligence are the main causes of most of the accidents that we observe everyday. Unfortunately, there are hundreds of drivers in the city who are absolutely illiterate while thousands of young boys with basic knowledge of science in SSC and HSC are unemployed. Many of them are educated in the vocational schools in relevant subjects and they don't know where to sell or utilise their skills or expertise in the country. Having no scopes for gainful or proper employment, a significant number of boys with SSC vocational certificates work as day labourers but they do not get additional amounts for their academic knowledge in Chemistry, Physics, Electricity, Electronics, Civil Construction, Building maintenance, Textile engineering and many other trades. The following example will make things clear to everybody.
Rubel was cutting paddy as a day labourer in the remote village of Arpara in Gopalganj district while other students of his class were celebrating the unique result of 100 per cent success in the SSC vocational examinations at Khairunnessa Memorial Vocational School at village Ikrail of Alfadanga in Faridpur district. He has obtained "A-grade" in textile engineering discipline but he got the message from one of his classmates through mobile correspondence at the end of the day after finishing his day's work. He studied Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and the trade subjects of textile engineering like the ones studying at famous schools in the capital city. This time 31 students appeared at the SSC vocational examinations in Civil Engineering, Textile Engineering and the Building Maintenance under the Bangladesh Technical Education Board (BTEB) held in March 2010 and all of them succeeded with excellent result, the minimum result being Grade A.
As soon as his board examination was over, Rubel was hired, as usual, as a day labourer at the weekly Bhatiapara bazar. Every Friday, he is hired by different land lords. This is normal for many students of the school (not included in MPO). In every vacation, they hire themselves out for money and they earn some amount that support their family and education costs. Like many others, Rubel does not know what he will do with his SSC results. What future is waiting for him? He simply finds darkness all around.
(Prof. Lutfor Rahman, Chairman, Computer Science Department, Stamford University Bangladesh, can be reached at e-mail: lutfor@agni.com)