Mother Nature had spoiled the Bengalees for thousands of generations to become lazy, since the formation of the delta in the region millions of years ago. by providing plenty of water. natural silt as fertiliser (much more eco-friendly than chemical fertilisers), fertile and flat arable land, and plenty of spare time for culture and art to flourish (the badralokh mentality is ecologically related).

The fertility of the womb matched the fertility of the soli, without contradicting the natural laws. The economic disparity was later introduced by human governance, unwittingly becoming inhuman from time to time, but today we are reaping the harvest of the fall outs — too many pewpk too Ill-lie mnnw m (ihii’I lnr ’He Ki^Ll i„t« «r • The now

uppci sUata of the society!

Natural calamities reposition the levels once in a while. Now the new notion of Bangladesh is trying to take off economically; but. paradoxically. with a 5-day week, seeking higher GNP and GDP. out of tune with the modern environment.

Our work efficiency and standard of work ethics is much lower than' normal; therefore we have to work longer, and harder, to raise the standard of the country, which is statistically positioned at the bottom group of ten of the UN list.

Let us face It: there is no unanimity on the sudden introduction of qtie 5-day week, from the usual 5x days. The rehabilitation wore after the recent floods will take a couple of years of abnormal and additional and supplementary activities. This is the time to revert to the previous working hours, in keeping with the international requirements. Strike when the iron Is hot.

Empty brain is a devil s workshop. Keep the people busy, for their own good. We must remember we are shirkers basically inside (phaki metality).

This is the time to be strict and enforce existing rules and regulations to ensure that routine jobs are done in a routine manner, without the popularity syndrome interfering in diluting the sense of duty. Undue political interference should be made a punishable offence. The staff, workers, and wage earners have to be hammered with the awareness aspect of responsibility carried by each ana every post in the public or private service. The incumbents should realize the simple message: work, or get out. We are too soft on the implementation side (trying for cheap popularity through nepotism).

There are too many examples to site here where the administration has failed to deliver the goods — cannot make the people work! The city's perennial traffic jam is due to soft-pedalling the existing regulations. and misplaced human kindness. The authority is trying to please whom?

The DCC is a non-starter. Politics cannot run a metropolitan municipality: in the sense that professionalism has to be introduced, and respected by the political bosses. There is a good deal of difference between amateur politics and professional political decision-making processing. Public representation does not mean dereliction of duty, and living on air coming out of the loudspeakers!

Let us solve only two problems in the first phase: reintroduce the former weekly working hours (as demanded by the industry and others), and clear Dhaka’s traffic Jams. The third item can wait.