Praise when praise is due
Saturday, 10 April 2010
Ameer Hamza
It was a pleasant surprise to find Caligula-type advisors of the ruling party letting their better judgement work recently with regard to the much-talked about Daylight Saving Time (DST). The same quarters that had been responsible for tampering with Bangladesh Standard Time last year, putting the clock back and forward, had decided to do it once again on 31st March or 15th April 2010, till the no-nonsense Dr Zafar Iqbal begged them to reconsider in a front-paged column in a contemporary. So praise is due unto Caligula and cronies.
The government would have been ill advised to repeat the irksome experimentation with DST when hundreds of thousands of students were then preparing to sit for their HSC exams. Such experiments in fact should never be permitted, exam or no exam. Last year's pretext was that it would save electricity, which it did not. The same reason was expected to be cited again. But it turned out to be a cruel joke on ordinary children, women and men who found themselves disoriented, trying to adjust to the 'digital time' -- as everyone dubbed the so-called DST -- even while citizens' biological clock ticked on at its own pace.
The futility, indeed ludicrity of it all, had been pointed out last time by many sober citizens, among them learned academicians and civil society activists, who had literally begged the avowedly democratic government to consider their studied opinion and let wisdom prevail. But the PM's energy advisor -- whose bright idea it reportedly was -- had been allowed to have his way, nonetheless. It is inconceivable that decision makers should be so nonchalant about something as crucial as time. No public consultation or discussion whatsoever had taken place then, even though an avowedly democratic government is at the helm.
Last year's exasperating experiment was initiated on 19 June with the clock set ahead by one hour, supposedly to extend daylight hours and reduce the need for electrical energy. Although the Power Development Board and its friends have been claiming this questionable measure managed to cut power demand by some 200 megawatts or so last summer, informed insiders do not agree. The fact is, it had led to more chaos than order as people started keeping two times -- functioning according to their biological clocks for meals, rest and leisure, even while being obliged to follow the government-adviser-ordained DST.
DST is practiced mostly in the cool and cold temperate zones where the difference between summer and winter daylight is significantly wide, and work and leisure hours are adjusted in keeping with their specific culture. In the context of tropical Bangladesh, where the majority are humble folk, DST made no sense at all. But does the current 'psyops' (psychological operation) with the country's energy/gas/power/people make sense from the point of a people's government ? What is it meant to achieve ? In a land that was once deemed to be floating on gas and gas-related resources why are we in this predicament ? How much of it is bluff and how much bad governance of past and present regimes? Cynical observers claim all is a sinister game, that is being played by puppeteers and their agents at home -- an economic war between parties that don't give a damn for Bangladesh's people at large.
Now the advisor concerned is trying out something else to prove his sobriety. A so-called ban on ACs has been declared. What the reality on the ground is needs surveying of course, but the fact is, something must be done to discourage the monstrous appetites of the AC addicts and the waste of energy in so many government and semi-government establishments through the carelessness and indifference of consumers. Even if wealthy employers can 'afford' wasteful expenditure on electricity, the point is the nation cannot afford it. Therefore, the ministry concerned should campaign to make energy conservation a slogan to be adopted as a national habit, indeed, to be cultivated as second nature.
It was a pleasant surprise to find Caligula-type advisors of the ruling party letting their better judgement work recently with regard to the much-talked about Daylight Saving Time (DST). The same quarters that had been responsible for tampering with Bangladesh Standard Time last year, putting the clock back and forward, had decided to do it once again on 31st March or 15th April 2010, till the no-nonsense Dr Zafar Iqbal begged them to reconsider in a front-paged column in a contemporary. So praise is due unto Caligula and cronies.
The government would have been ill advised to repeat the irksome experimentation with DST when hundreds of thousands of students were then preparing to sit for their HSC exams. Such experiments in fact should never be permitted, exam or no exam. Last year's pretext was that it would save electricity, which it did not. The same reason was expected to be cited again. But it turned out to be a cruel joke on ordinary children, women and men who found themselves disoriented, trying to adjust to the 'digital time' -- as everyone dubbed the so-called DST -- even while citizens' biological clock ticked on at its own pace.
The futility, indeed ludicrity of it all, had been pointed out last time by many sober citizens, among them learned academicians and civil society activists, who had literally begged the avowedly democratic government to consider their studied opinion and let wisdom prevail. But the PM's energy advisor -- whose bright idea it reportedly was -- had been allowed to have his way, nonetheless. It is inconceivable that decision makers should be so nonchalant about something as crucial as time. No public consultation or discussion whatsoever had taken place then, even though an avowedly democratic government is at the helm.
Last year's exasperating experiment was initiated on 19 June with the clock set ahead by one hour, supposedly to extend daylight hours and reduce the need for electrical energy. Although the Power Development Board and its friends have been claiming this questionable measure managed to cut power demand by some 200 megawatts or so last summer, informed insiders do not agree. The fact is, it had led to more chaos than order as people started keeping two times -- functioning according to their biological clocks for meals, rest and leisure, even while being obliged to follow the government-adviser-ordained DST.
DST is practiced mostly in the cool and cold temperate zones where the difference between summer and winter daylight is significantly wide, and work and leisure hours are adjusted in keeping with their specific culture. In the context of tropical Bangladesh, where the majority are humble folk, DST made no sense at all. But does the current 'psyops' (psychological operation) with the country's energy/gas/power/people make sense from the point of a people's government ? What is it meant to achieve ? In a land that was once deemed to be floating on gas and gas-related resources why are we in this predicament ? How much of it is bluff and how much bad governance of past and present regimes? Cynical observers claim all is a sinister game, that is being played by puppeteers and their agents at home -- an economic war between parties that don't give a damn for Bangladesh's people at large.
Now the advisor concerned is trying out something else to prove his sobriety. A so-called ban on ACs has been declared. What the reality on the ground is needs surveying of course, but the fact is, something must be done to discourage the monstrous appetites of the AC addicts and the waste of energy in so many government and semi-government establishments through the carelessness and indifference of consumers. Even if wealthy employers can 'afford' wasteful expenditure on electricity, the point is the nation cannot afford it. Therefore, the ministry concerned should campaign to make energy conservation a slogan to be adopted as a national habit, indeed, to be cultivated as second nature.