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Let's learn from Hatoiy

Sir, We all felt a ray of hope after the fall of the Ershad regime. With Chief Justice Shahabuddln in the august chair of the presidency showing and enforcing his commitment to democracy we could all feel proud to belong to this nation. For the first time we have had a free and fair electton. The people got a chance to elect their choice of representatives. They were given the opportunity, for the first time, to make their decision without a gun pointed to their head or a knife at their belly.

The election was held and the people gave their mandate.

Begum Khaleda Zia with her uncompromising struggle of nthe long years against an autocracy that had gone wild, symbolized people s hope for an honest and open government. They looked at her for guiding the nation out of moral, social, economic and political degradation to a healthier status. It was a heavy burden given to her considering the backdrop of the nation. The expectations were very high and the limitations too much.

We are a forgetful nation which wants its rewards regardless of the performance of. Its leadership. Begum Zia and her party have been In power for only over six months. We expect miracles, but, this is

not right. Of course, we did expect some changes in attitude that could give us a lasting impression of her party's commitment to the people who so overwhelmingly ele cted them. These include such minor things as changing /stopping the practice of 1) overdoing of the newscoverage of the ministers on the TV everyday, 2) stopping the traffic to let ministers' car go by, 3) protocol of receiving and seeing off the Prime Minister everytime she is off on an official visit, 4) same kind of patronizing words being used about the government trying to give everything to the poor. We have seen it all before. This is like a repeat performance and it is boring. ,,,

We want action. We want commitment. We have elected them of our own free choice and will. We do not need to see and hear them on the TV telling us how hard they ate working, trying to change our fate. We live with the reality and will know first if we are any better or worse. In five years we will be given

another chance to practice our franchise whereupon we will show our gratitude or distaste. Just a little note of caution to keep in mind what has happened in the past. Let us learn from our history, not discard it.

A. Chowdhury

Nakhalpara, Dhaka.

Does honesty pay off?

Sir, The long queues in most bank branches throughout the banking hours show the keenness of the consumers to pay bills for utility services viz. electricity, WASA, gas, telephone, telex, municipal tax and the like. The tragedy in paying bills after standing in queue for hours together can better be realised than de-sertbed. Allocation of a limited number of branches for collection of such bills has at times been very much distressing. Some of the consumers/ subscribers may find it convenient to pay such bills to

banks close to their residence, but there are others who would find it convenient to pay bills to banks close to their place of duty. Curiously enough this aspect has been utterly ignored by the Departments while allocating branches for collection of such bills.

One must understand the pangs of the subscribers In paying their bills for utility services every month at the cost of much of their time and money. There are however many others, who are Indifferent to making payment of utility bills every month and they accumulate the dues, and by doing so, it seems, they save much of the botheration, time and money, which the others have to shoulder in the process of paying bills every month!

The Electricity Department, for instance, in their endeavour to realftee such accumulated dues, at times waive interest and fix a date for clearance of 50% of arrear dues within such fixed time and allow 2/3 instalments for

payment of rest of the dues. My point is: what about those consumers/subseribers who paid their bills regularly every month? They do not get the benefit of waiver allowed by the Department! By their sincerity in paying bills regularly, at the cost of their much valued time and money, they kept their accounts up to date, they should not be deprived of the benefit of waiver granted, which they would have also enjoyed had they been wise enough' to keep their bills pending. This Is perhaps a proper (sadly) instance to show that "honesty is not the best policy '.

It is, accordingly, hoped that the Department while granting a waiver, should take steps so that the benefit of waiver also goes to the regular bill payers, by adjustment of such dues from their future bills, for the sake of equity. Justice and (airplay.

M.H. Shaikh

Manipur, Mtrpur, Dhaka.