Rationalising market holidays
Saturday, 6 February 2010
Ameer Hamza
A cabinet decision recently has taken yet another initiative to ease the traffic situation in Dhaka and conserve energy. This time it seeks to experiment by rationalizing market holidays. It claims to have taken all the stakeholders on board, that is, it has consulted various people, including shop owners' and traders' associations, Dhaka Metropolitan police and the State Minister for Manpower, Begum Munnujan Sufiyan.
The cabinet meeting in which the idea was floated ----- to divide the city into seven zones and determine on which days each would enjoy its usual one and a half days' weekly relief from work ---- reportedly found the Prime Minister rather irked by the continued use of un-roadworthy vehicles on most routes within Dhaka. She was also unhappy about the indiscriminate parking habits of both private and public transport owners. If only the PM's ire could make a difference in the way most cabinet colleagues carry out their responsibilities !
As for the zoning plan, except for daily necessities, all other shops and markets from north to south, east to west would take turns to remain closed on specific days. Thus, if adjacent zones enjoy their holidays on different days, it might be possible to reduce some of the congestion in the specific areas, and save a little electricity as well, provided the people concerned are willing to cooperate. One BUET professor however thinks it is not likely to make much difference as the shoppers would simply shift their preferences and go to other areas, thus adding to the load there! Judging by what goes on after every government directive --- generating chaos rather than cooperation --- one can hardly be optimistic. The lawmakers themselves are often found to add to the congestion by their wilful behaviour. Consider that the Education Ministry had earlier directed all institutions to desist from wasting pupils' time and energy to 'honour' ministers and parliamentarians. But violation goes on with impunity, as was seen last Sunday when thousands of school children in Madaripur constituency were made to welcome the son of the soil instead of pursuing their lessons!
As the media reports said, unscheduled holiday was declared for the schools and the pupils made to line up to welcome the visiting minister. Traffic movement was stopped for the occasion, resulting in a three km long jam with some 250 vehicles caught up for hours, and the suffering of hundreds of people who were forced to walk over a long distance. Vehicular traffic was not allowed to move along the Bhurghata-Mollahat and Bhurghata-Samitirhat road in Kalkini, beginning from early afternoon till evening.
As if that was not indecent enough, a largesse of at least ten million taka was reportedly splashed in preparation for the occasion, according to the Prothom Alo, with three specially installed transformers ensuring uninterrupted electricity at the venue, scores of 'welcome' gates, lighted-up trees and digital banners, and of course, food aplenty !
Such waste of money, time, and doubly valuable electricity, to appease sycophantic urges is hardly an exception. Indeed, holding up traffic to ease the passage of luminaries is almost an everyday affair in Dhaka. Whether political or apolitical, there seems to be no concern at all for the public when meetings, parades, processions, and what not, are organised at the busiest spots. This tendency seems to be growing out of all proportion these days as followers are found to prove their allegiance and try to outdo one another in taking out rallies, whenever and wherever they like.
Civic sense is clearly an alien concept to these insensitive herd. Needless to say, this intolerable behaviour of political animals in Dhaka can create the most horrendous of traffic jams. The prime leaders of this country should apply their minds to this aspect of their sycophants' zeal and put a stop to such shows, at least during peak hours. Let this be considered a do-able step in the right direction.
A cabinet decision recently has taken yet another initiative to ease the traffic situation in Dhaka and conserve energy. This time it seeks to experiment by rationalizing market holidays. It claims to have taken all the stakeholders on board, that is, it has consulted various people, including shop owners' and traders' associations, Dhaka Metropolitan police and the State Minister for Manpower, Begum Munnujan Sufiyan.
The cabinet meeting in which the idea was floated ----- to divide the city into seven zones and determine on which days each would enjoy its usual one and a half days' weekly relief from work ---- reportedly found the Prime Minister rather irked by the continued use of un-roadworthy vehicles on most routes within Dhaka. She was also unhappy about the indiscriminate parking habits of both private and public transport owners. If only the PM's ire could make a difference in the way most cabinet colleagues carry out their responsibilities !
As for the zoning plan, except for daily necessities, all other shops and markets from north to south, east to west would take turns to remain closed on specific days. Thus, if adjacent zones enjoy their holidays on different days, it might be possible to reduce some of the congestion in the specific areas, and save a little electricity as well, provided the people concerned are willing to cooperate. One BUET professor however thinks it is not likely to make much difference as the shoppers would simply shift their preferences and go to other areas, thus adding to the load there! Judging by what goes on after every government directive --- generating chaos rather than cooperation --- one can hardly be optimistic. The lawmakers themselves are often found to add to the congestion by their wilful behaviour. Consider that the Education Ministry had earlier directed all institutions to desist from wasting pupils' time and energy to 'honour' ministers and parliamentarians. But violation goes on with impunity, as was seen last Sunday when thousands of school children in Madaripur constituency were made to welcome the son of the soil instead of pursuing their lessons!
As the media reports said, unscheduled holiday was declared for the schools and the pupils made to line up to welcome the visiting minister. Traffic movement was stopped for the occasion, resulting in a three km long jam with some 250 vehicles caught up for hours, and the suffering of hundreds of people who were forced to walk over a long distance. Vehicular traffic was not allowed to move along the Bhurghata-Mollahat and Bhurghata-Samitirhat road in Kalkini, beginning from early afternoon till evening.
As if that was not indecent enough, a largesse of at least ten million taka was reportedly splashed in preparation for the occasion, according to the Prothom Alo, with three specially installed transformers ensuring uninterrupted electricity at the venue, scores of 'welcome' gates, lighted-up trees and digital banners, and of course, food aplenty !
Such waste of money, time, and doubly valuable electricity, to appease sycophantic urges is hardly an exception. Indeed, holding up traffic to ease the passage of luminaries is almost an everyday affair in Dhaka. Whether political or apolitical, there seems to be no concern at all for the public when meetings, parades, processions, and what not, are organised at the busiest spots. This tendency seems to be growing out of all proportion these days as followers are found to prove their allegiance and try to outdo one another in taking out rallies, whenever and wherever they like.
Civic sense is clearly an alien concept to these insensitive herd. Needless to say, this intolerable behaviour of political animals in Dhaka can create the most horrendous of traffic jams. The prime leaders of this country should apply their minds to this aspect of their sycophants' zeal and put a stop to such shows, at least during peak hours. Let this be considered a do-able step in the right direction.