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Dhaka Day by Day

Knack for Technical Know-how

by Fayza Haq
Abul Basher in his late twenties from Shyamoli. Dhaka, has been interested in scientific know-how since his student days. He did not have to his credit good academic results, but nevertheless, proceeded on to cle|ve deep into the sphere of scientific knowledge at the Technical Training Centre at MIrpur.
Asked as to how he got inspired to carry on with.his efforts In technology. Basher replied. "1 dreamed and hoped to be a technical worker with a fairly good salary, going by our local standards, and this encouraged me to persevere diligently.
Speaking about his comaraderie with his colleagues'. Basher said. All my co-workers are well-qualified, persevering, full of Joie de vtvre. and ready to lend a helping hand at all times. Our profession is one that operates best with combined efforts, as do all in any specialised technical centre. Karim Devnath. who Is quail fled from a training centre at Kachukhet. Husain, a Junior technician who learnt on-the-job, while working in *nison at our electronics repair shop) and Mansoor. The owe qualification for all of my associates is S SC.
Asked to give details about his take-home pay and how he contrives to support his family with it. Basher Informed. "It is Tk 4.500 a month, and as is well-known, it is below the taxable iheome." I am fortunate that I have a house of my own. at Shyamoli. and this is built on two kathas (26 ft. by 50 ft.). This, incidentally. has a Un-shed roof, and comprises two rooms. My house accommodates my joint-family. which consists of three brothers and four sisters. Our cousins too are accommodated here. My paternal uncles and aunts -- would you believe it! stay here as welt My own par ents naturally get the first priority tn the household. As for myself, and my wife, Ruma, we have plan to have a baby some time later.
"The open area around is used for cultivation of vegetables and other necessities to provide the necessary meals for the family.''
Asked to provide details about the "roliercoastlng" of the business at the centre at Sobhanbagh. where he works. Basher said, confidently. 'Whenever there are any political . upheavals, which have been seen during the different regimes — since the ihcepUon of the technical centre, where 1 work — the business automatically drops. This also applies to the time of examinations — ranging from the preschool to the university level."
"The protest marches, slogans, and hartals' are the elements that I consider most infuriat Ing and tyinoying, as when there is the decUne of productive work, such as ours, our Income .suffers as a consequence. Confusion and de
spair follows in our households. As the income of all the individuals at my work-place is limited. the old pre-partition system of India 'no work, no pay' ensues.
Basher continues in his gently pitched voice. "The same applies to occurrences of natural calamities such as flood, famine, cyclone, storm, or even an average rainy day. What with the recent unexpected changes of our normal local weather, we sometimes feel that we are, perhaps, 'caught between the devil and the deep blue sea.' at those times. We work from 9 am to 8 pm. when on duty, but we do enjoy a respite of 36 hours, commencing from the middle of Thursday to the end of our national holiday i.e. Friday. When I reach home, fortunately my dinner is ready at hand, and 1 watch numerous channels on my colour television. This, by the way. as you might guess, is through connecting cables and Is not expensive. »
Asked to elaborate on his duties at his work-place. Basher replied spontaneously. "1 specialise in repairing colour TVs and VCRs." Giving an account of his customers, he continued, "People of both genders with electronic appliances of their offices and homes, come to my work-place. However, our best clients are men.
Explaining why his colleagues did not include a female one Basher patiently elaborated, they prefer to work in factories where electronic parts are assembled and manufactured.
Basher and his six other colleagues work like some programmed computers. They seldom take a break, and when they do so. it is for tea-breaks or for using the toilet upstairs. Incidentally, he watches TV at his work-place for about an hour.
When asked to give the range of repair charges for work done at his work-place. Basher explained. "The cost varies from Tk 100 to Tk 1.250 A CD player, for example, will require Tk 650; a colour TV Ranging from 26” to 27" will cost Tk 600: a VCR shall be charged Tk 650. while a microwave oven will require Tk 800. We often charge nothing at all for minor repair work from our regular customers, for matters such as head -cleaning."
Rezaul Karim. Basher's employer, who is an electronics engineer, qualified from "City and Guilds Institute" of London In '79. had set up Basher's work shop in '81. He sees to It that his employees are all specialized workers.
There are similar places such as the one at which Basher works, but they do not all have trade licences nor are they located at a relatively central point of Dhaka-.