I never understood my native country – or at least perhaps intricate corruption has brought imbalance to priorities – because the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has to ask the government to make a decision on approving the metro rail that JICA is paying for (albeit in the form of a soft loan).
One needs not be in Dhaka city for too long to realise that one of the biggest problems the city dwellers face (apart from power cuts and a deteriorating law & order situation) is perennial traffic gridlock. These are the sorts of choked roads that rob hours of productivity and literally costs the country millions in lost wages and spent petrol fumes each day.
You'd think that the government would jump at an opportunity to be seen doing something tangible about the traffic problem. The point of contention is that the rail route from Pallabi to the commercial district Motijheel links through parts of the Dhaka University and alongside the Bijoy Sarani (which in turn is alongside the old airport).
It appears that among the objections from various authorities the Dhaka University authorities and the Air Force are putting up a defiant front. The Air Force have even gone as far as suggesting re-drawing the route from Pallabi to Khamarbari at Farmgate and then from Khamarbari to Motijheel to avoid Bijoy Sarani altogether.
Problem is that the purported elevated expressway (my Dhaka is full of grandiose plans to tackle traffic; which are always, it seems, just short of actual implementation) has been designed with a ramp located at Khamarbari, which could potentially hamper the proposed metro route.
Now one wonders why the Dhaka University authorities would protest the route considering that most (if very few) of their students do not use of any personal transportation to come to campus. The only legitimate concern that the DU authorities may have would be the fact that a metro rail on campus would be the first thing agitating students will hit (for reasons as varied as tuition hikes, road accidents, increase in public transport fares, political rivalry, to absolutely no reason whatsoever).
However, I fear that just like everything at DU their rationale are much less mundane (or pragmatic) and much, much more loftier – metrical as opposed to metric – and has more to do with protecting the sacred aura of enlightenment, the intellectual spirituality, and the sanctity of studenthood in an environment that is conducive to heightened debate over the true meaning of a ripple in a cold tea cup.
How can an area that can boast historical lyric as Curzon Hall and the Language Martyr's Memorial (to name just two) be in anyway associated with something as mundane and real and commercially inclined as a public transport system!
[Of course I could be wrong; but I am more probably right in my estimation.]
The Air Force, of course have it the other way round. Their concerns are possibly cannot so deemed so lightly but more along the lines that state secrets and national sovereignty could be at stake if a metro rail is allowed to pass by an area from where 'stealth' operations are launched.
It would do great harm if the general public is given fleeting view of what the greater military world all ready knows – i.e. the state of our BAF fleet strength. After all the 'Thunderbirds' of Bangladesh are not mere cartoons, but real life Chinese trainer aircraft, Russian Migs. Bell helicopters and transport aircraft.
Oh for a country to unite for a common good rather than still wile away in the “what's in it for me” mindset.
[In fact this topic needs further elaboration. Stay tuned for another in a series that I have just decided to do and share my thoughts on traffic management. Any comments or suggestions? Write in – either as a comment to this piece or use the contact me form.]
One needs not be in Dhaka city for too long to realise that one of the biggest problems the city dwellers face (apart from power cuts and a deteriorating law & order situation) is perennial traffic gridlock. These are the sorts of choked roads that rob hours of productivity and literally costs the country millions in lost wages and spent petrol fumes each day.
It appears that among the objections from various authorities the Dhaka University authorities and the Air Force are putting up a defiant front. The Air Force have even gone as far as suggesting re-drawing the route from Pallabi to Khamarbari at Farmgate and then from Khamarbari to Motijheel to avoid Bijoy Sarani altogether.
Problem is that the purported elevated expressway (my Dhaka is full of grandiose plans to tackle traffic; which are always, it seems, just short of actual implementation) has been designed with a ramp located at Khamarbari, which could potentially hamper the proposed metro route.
Now one wonders why the Dhaka University authorities would protest the route considering that most (if very few) of their students do not use of any personal transportation to come to campus. The only legitimate concern that the DU authorities may have would be the fact that a metro rail on campus would be the first thing agitating students will hit (for reasons as varied as tuition hikes, road accidents, increase in public transport fares, political rivalry, to absolutely no reason whatsoever).
However, I fear that just like everything at DU their rationale are much less mundane (or pragmatic) and much, much more loftier – metrical as opposed to metric – and has more to do with protecting the sacred aura of enlightenment, the intellectual spirituality, and the sanctity of studenthood in an environment that is conducive to heightened debate over the true meaning of a ripple in a cold tea cup.
How can an area that can boast historical lyric as Curzon Hall and the Language Martyr's Memorial (to name just two) be in anyway associated with something as mundane and real and commercially inclined as a public transport system!
[Of course I could be wrong; but I am more probably right in my estimation.]
The Air Force, of course have it the other way round. Their concerns are possibly cannot so deemed so lightly but more along the lines that state secrets and national sovereignty could be at stake if a metro rail is allowed to pass by an area from where 'stealth' operations are launched.
It would do great harm if the general public is given fleeting view of what the greater military world all ready knows – i.e. the state of our BAF fleet strength. After all the 'Thunderbirds' of Bangladesh are not mere cartoons, but real life Chinese trainer aircraft, Russian Migs. Bell helicopters and transport aircraft.
Oh for a country to unite for a common good rather than still wile away in the “what's in it for me” mindset.
[In fact this topic needs further elaboration. Stay tuned for another in a series that I have just decided to do and share my thoughts on traffic management. Any comments or suggestions? Write in – either as a comment to this piece or use the contact me form.]
2 comments:
Dhakai metro rail ki ado hobe na... sudhu asar bani sunacche ....
time will tell, but this is something that needs maturity and commitment from our party leaders. hasina and khaleda are neither! this will be something that will make a few people a lot of money, we citizens have see some pillars put up that will stroke our pipe dreams and give us false hope.
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