Two days' weekend is really a problem
A. H. Khan | Tuesday, 5 August 2008
VIEWS expressed by Air Commodore M Zakiul Islam may be right from his own thought-perspective, but his article did not reflect the issues raised by the members of the business community. If Mr. Rahman goes to his office on Friday and if he is a businessman, who trades internationally, it hardly matters, whether his counterpart in London or New York is asleep or not. He can pass on his decision and communicate the same through e-mail. The man who is sleeping, say Mr. Tom, at the other part of the globe, is not an issue to him. Mr. Tom can get up at his usual time and receive the e-mail of Mr. Rahman on Friday and pass his decision, direction, suggestion to the concerned people easily. If he thinks to release the payment or pass the L/C to Mr. Rahman, Mr. Tom can pass the direction to his bank or concerned person on the same Friday.
So, Mr. Rahman can receive the payment or L/c on Sunday(or Monday, if the bank is not faster).If Saturday would have been a working day, it could be even earlier. Upon receiving payment or L/C, Mr. Rahman can pay his outstanding bills, buy new items for export or so. In case of L/C, he can open back-to-back L/C on Sunday (if within Bangladesh) or Monday (if outside Bangladesh).
On the otherhand, if Mr. Rahman enjoys holiday on Friday & Saturday, he can pass his message to Mr. Tom not before Sunday, but Mr. Tom can see it only on his Monday morning, by the time local counterpart might pack up for the day. So, he can receive reply or payment or L/C by Wednesday (if he his lucky, may be by Tuesday). If we enjoy holidays on Friday & Saturday, Mr. Rahman would be the victim. A period of two days is a major factor in international trading. The traders in Europe and the USA may not wait for couple of days, as there is a lot of many competitors in their own country and counterparts around the world. Unless Bangladesh makes some lucrative offer, they can hardly wait for.
The impact of loss of two days, is hardly imaginable for the persons, who are not in international trade or private business.
Let us see if Mr. Rahman does RMG business, what can be the effect! He needs to ship out one consignment by next Sunday (as the USA-bound vessel's cut-off time falls on Monday), but he noticed his trims(button/decorative flower etc.) just reached at Zia International Airport (ZIA) on Wednesday from Hong Kong. He can not release the consignment in a day (in many parts of the world, it is possible in a day). Now he has been trapped and had to wait madly for two days weekend to finish. By Sunday afternoon, he may be fortunate to receive the air cargo from ZIA, but an unfortunate fellow to save the consignment. Now Mr. Rahman has to air book the cargo PREPAID to the USA. What he earned in last six months, will be drained to pay the AIR Freight.
Again he is a victim of two days weekend.
What can happen, if Mr. Rahman enjoys Friday & Saturday weekend! Mr. Tom sent some urgent query, on Thursday, to quote prices of some garment-style immediately, but Mr. Rahman has gone to his village home to enjoy weekend, since all nation is on the grip of weekend fever, what can he does! Mr. Tom sent same query to his overseas vendors. He has no time to wait for Mr. Rahman, who will come and join at his office on Sunday. He got favourable price offer from Mr. Dong of Vietnam on Friday and placed order to him. Mr. Rahman misses the train. Time and tide wait for none. Mr. Rahman can cry only, but policy-makers hardly acknowledge it. If we could control the time and tide, we could turn it around, but Bangladesh is a poor nation, hardly its voice makes any impact in international arena.
Customers has many destinations, Bangladesh is one them only. We can not control the world trade of our exportables. We have a little share only. If we are to enjoy two-days' lavish weekend, no one can save us from drowning. They can enjoy two-days' weekend, whose blessings give us bread and butter! Unfortunately we are at the receiving end only, someone else is on the command.
The members of the business community are looking for an administration, which is progressive and farsighted and which can mobilise and put the nation on a faster track of the 21st century, to ease the differences from front runners, if necessary to squeeze weekend to a single day, to get a competitive edge.
The writer can be reached at e-mail: khanfloret@gmail.com
So, Mr. Rahman can receive the payment or L/c on Sunday(or Monday, if the bank is not faster).If Saturday would have been a working day, it could be even earlier. Upon receiving payment or L/C, Mr. Rahman can pay his outstanding bills, buy new items for export or so. In case of L/C, he can open back-to-back L/C on Sunday (if within Bangladesh) or Monday (if outside Bangladesh).
On the otherhand, if Mr. Rahman enjoys holiday on Friday & Saturday, he can pass his message to Mr. Tom not before Sunday, but Mr. Tom can see it only on his Monday morning, by the time local counterpart might pack up for the day. So, he can receive reply or payment or L/C by Wednesday (if he his lucky, may be by Tuesday). If we enjoy holidays on Friday & Saturday, Mr. Rahman would be the victim. A period of two days is a major factor in international trading. The traders in Europe and the USA may not wait for couple of days, as there is a lot of many competitors in their own country and counterparts around the world. Unless Bangladesh makes some lucrative offer, they can hardly wait for.
The impact of loss of two days, is hardly imaginable for the persons, who are not in international trade or private business.
Let us see if Mr. Rahman does RMG business, what can be the effect! He needs to ship out one consignment by next Sunday (as the USA-bound vessel's cut-off time falls on Monday), but he noticed his trims(button/decorative flower etc.) just reached at Zia International Airport (ZIA) on Wednesday from Hong Kong. He can not release the consignment in a day (in many parts of the world, it is possible in a day). Now he has been trapped and had to wait madly for two days weekend to finish. By Sunday afternoon, he may be fortunate to receive the air cargo from ZIA, but an unfortunate fellow to save the consignment. Now Mr. Rahman has to air book the cargo PREPAID to the USA. What he earned in last six months, will be drained to pay the AIR Freight.
Again he is a victim of two days weekend.
What can happen, if Mr. Rahman enjoys Friday & Saturday weekend! Mr. Tom sent some urgent query, on Thursday, to quote prices of some garment-style immediately, but Mr. Rahman has gone to his village home to enjoy weekend, since all nation is on the grip of weekend fever, what can he does! Mr. Tom sent same query to his overseas vendors. He has no time to wait for Mr. Rahman, who will come and join at his office on Sunday. He got favourable price offer from Mr. Dong of Vietnam on Friday and placed order to him. Mr. Rahman misses the train. Time and tide wait for none. Mr. Rahman can cry only, but policy-makers hardly acknowledge it. If we could control the time and tide, we could turn it around, but Bangladesh is a poor nation, hardly its voice makes any impact in international arena.
Customers has many destinations, Bangladesh is one them only. We can not control the world trade of our exportables. We have a little share only. If we are to enjoy two-days' lavish weekend, no one can save us from drowning. They can enjoy two-days' weekend, whose blessings give us bread and butter! Unfortunately we are at the receiving end only, someone else is on the command.
The members of the business community are looking for an administration, which is progressive and farsighted and which can mobilise and put the nation on a faster track of the 21st century, to ease the differences from front runners, if necessary to squeeze weekend to a single day, to get a competitive edge.
The writer can be reached at e-mail: khanfloret@gmail.com