DO YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE TALKING TO – F. R. Chowdhury (1N)

The people in Bangladesh are very fond of power. They also want to show off as to how powerful they are. Soon after the liberation of Bangladesh I met lot of commanders of mukti bahini but very few ordinary freedom fighters. I started to wonder if the numbers of commanders were more than the fighters. As we look at the street, we find the policeman making lot of noise with a stick in his hand. He shows his powers to poor rickshaw pullers. He feels himself satisfied after showing his power.  It has become a part of our culture and we cannot do without it. It is now reaching a stage where it will be difficult to get rid of it.

It was in 2018 summer that we went to Canada for a few days. I happened to meet my good old friend Abed who is now settled in Canada. What Abed told me is that in the streets of Dhaka it is difficult to walk around without being harassed by someone. He was walking through Kurmitola Golf Court without knowing that common people were forbidden to enter. He was intercepted by an army man and he agreed to go out of the Golf course. At this point, an officer, perhaps a brigadier appeared and told the army man not to allow him to go away like that. He instructed to hand him over to police. Abed kept waiting for arrival of the police. Suddenly he remembered a good friend of him who was a major-general. He telephoned his friend and returned home instead of going to police station.

Recently I read a very interesting news item in Bangladesh paper. A foreign flagged vessel lying alongside a jetty was discharging import cargo. A fire broke out and spread quite rapidly. The ship’s crew got into action supported by port fire brigade. The fire was getting under control but there was too much commotion within a huge crowd. To get the fire under immediate control, the master and chief engineer decided to flood the compartment with co2. The hatches and other openings were closed air-tight so that the CO2 can have full control. Suddenly a big boss appeared on the jetty and wanted to see the fire. He was told that hatches could not be opened now as with fresh oxygen the fire could gain new momentum. God knows what he understood of it; he declared it a threat to the port and ordered the vessel to be taken out to outer anchorage. The vessel was taken out despite the fact the last resort CO2 was already used. If this vessel again ignited then it could be a serious situation. Thanks God, everything went as per plan and the vessel was brought back to port next day. But the vessel underwent additional expenses for going out and again coming back. The big boss must be very happy to show his powers and I am sure he had a good sleep at night.

If we look at the historical development of sea ports; we can see the primary purpose was to provide shelter from pirates and storms. It still remains the same and that is why the chapter V of SOLAS calls up on states to provide shelter where it is possible to do so. In this particular case, we proved that we are a mogger mulluck. These officials do not go abroad. We go and we have to listen to humiliating remarks. There is no shortage of qualified and competent people in the country. Why these competent persons are not allowed to do their job?

I remember an incident of early 1972 when a coastal tanker perhaps hit a mine and blew up. Another coastal tanker also caught fire and was adrift in the mid-channel. We were afraid that if the tanker on fire went down in mid-stream the port could be blocked. So we decided to push and beach the tanker on the other side of the river. We did it very neatly. I was the person who put the bight of the wire on tug’s bitt. I still remember Mr Kibria, chairman of the port was watching everything but never interfered with the job of the professionals. Even today we respect him. Those who want to know more about it may contact Capt. Hussain Imam who used to work for BIWTC.

We would like a judicial inquiry to be held to establish if it was necessary to take the vessel out. If not, why the expenses should not be recovered from the man who showed off his power? The bogus show off business must stop.     

London, 07-July-2020.                                                                    <fazlu.chowdhury@btinternet.com>