Just About to Go On Holiday in 2012

5 Weeks In

I have survived 5 weeks.  That’s why I am writing this from an Airport lounge, as we are off on our hols to Malaysia for 3 weeks over Christmas and New Year.  So what its been like you all cry?  I can hear you – honest – I can.

Just now it is all about survival.  Already we have moved to another transit flat which is dark and quite depressing as our permanent accommodation took a while to find and once found is now basically having to be rewired, replumbed etc – even when it is a brand new building!  The projected move in date is now mid January 2013 – fingers crossed.  Mind you, one thing I have learned.  There is time and then Bangladeshi time.  Don’t hold your breath as you would die of asphyxiation.

This delay has basically meant we have been living with what we have brought in suitcases and whatever food that has been bought since.  An interesting experience I grant you.  Our 72 boxes are in country in a store, but until we get our pad, there is no point delivering them.  I am now starting to think whether that was a wise move or not.  

It did result in a mercy mission to the store to get golf clubs out and the kilt for the Caledonian Ball.  Yep, 5,500 miles away and I am eating smoked salmon from Dunkeld, Haggis from Orkney followed by Aberdeenshire beef and then dancing to a Ceilidh band, specially flown in for the occasion.  Talk about déjà vu or some kind of weird dream.

Life is like living in a village.  The community is small, even though I am meeting new people daily from other Missions etc and no doubt add to the address book as time goes on.  One restrictive factor has been the lack of wheels, which as of today has been resolved.  The diplomatic zone, is pretty straightforward to walk around whilst dodging 4x4, tuk-tuks and rickshaws.  However there is more to Dhaka and a car is essential - I hope.  Hopefully 2013 will see exploratory trips to further afield.

Energy Parallels

Energy Parallels

Reading 'The Independent' (the Bangladeshi one) the editorial was questioning the amount of foreign direct investment, increasing the burden on the people of Bangladesh, but more importantly calling for an energy strategy.  Now where have we heard that before - ah yes the UK.

Strange how a country such as Bangladesh can have very similar parallels as, I hate to say, a developed country.  Jury is still out on that one me thinks.  However, I digress.  Looking at it coldly - the UK's balance of payments is going up increasing overall debt.  Likewise Bangladesh.  The difference - Bangladesh is using OPM (other people's money) as its leverage.  UK, just adding it to the bottom line and hoping for the best.

Secondly, the UK has gone through a series of consultations over the last two years to get to, some would say, a maligned Energy Bill.  The Bill is designed to 'create' investment but define an 'energy strategy' for the remaining years before the lights go out around 2017.  Bangladesh, around two years ago hired in temporary power to stop the lights going off (they still do).  Why the temporary power, due to not having an energy strategy and not investing in modern power plants and ultimately a diverse energy mix.  Realising this, they are using OPM to do this.  Not the best solution.

Bangladesh’s dilemmas either to use all the new oil and gas finds in the Bay of Bengal for the country, export the lot or do a mixture reinvesting the income.  This seems a hard decision to do for the government.  All they have to do is look at the UK and what was done with the North Sea fields from the 70’s and fail to reinvest in it.  Hence the UK trying to design an energy strategy, when the price of energy is rising etc.  In the meantime, they will let foreign companies give them the cash to develop power plants which the company owns etc etc etc

Only if one could look at the other and see how not to do it, then maybe there are strategies rather than parallels for both countries and not the headache that currently exists.

Footnote
Since writing this blog there has been another look at the energy alternatives (30Dec12) - The Energy Scenario - Alternatives

In The News

In the news

Bangladeshi news sometimes is quite funny, absurd, amazing and also downright shocking.  In a lot of cases you might get all of that in the same article. 

Headline - Rotary to eradicate polio from World by 2013.  Brill you cry - it gets better.  In the opening para, the rotary governor states categorically that he wants to 'eradicate police from the world by 2013'.  An amusing Typo, but if the criminal fraternity saw that, the Rotary membership may increase dramatically.

One article which amazed me and was regarding a government policy in regards to new build housing.  This is where G8 and the UK could stop and listen.  The law was changed a couple of years ago, in that any new build apartment / house could not obtain an electricity connection until they had installed solar panels on the roof of the property.

Brilliant - leading the way I say.  Problem - all the developers are giving the usual moan, saying its too expensive to do so.  Hence they have constructed their apartment blocks without the panels and hence they have no electrity connection.  Get this - the developers are demanding that the connections should be made and, a new phrase for you, the continuation of the opportunity to 'whiten black money without an extra duty for the next five years'.  Talk about having your cake and eat it, that's of course if they had power to bake it - ha!

Alongside.  Another article which demonstrates the hypocrisy of the Bangladeshi government.  It sounds like a scene from a John Wayne Western - cattle rustling in 21st century Bangladesh.  It happens everyday, with Bangladeshis smuggling cattle across the border from India illegally.    There are 'cattle running mafias' enjoying a lucrative business to meet the demand of Bangladeshi buyers for low cost meat.  The Bangladesh government in true denying any corruption exists style claims there is nothing to worry about or that there is any illegality taking place.  They call it 'cattle trade' and hence no proper resolution with the Indian Government.  Ironically the Indian Government doesn't want to legalise it fully.  A 'hot potato' it was called in the press.  A meat and veg story to me?!

So what's the  problem apart from being illegal.  The mafia use agents to smuggle the cattle across the border.  The smuggler will probably only get 500 rupees (about £5.50).

For that they are risking their life.  Mind you the Indian Border Security Force will try and take prisoners, but have now resorted to lethal action, as they are sustaining too many life threatening injuries.  Figures are bandied around, that over a 1000 Bangladeshis have lost their lives in the last decade.  The BSF claim, that the force was gunned down in 2010. In 2012 they claim 6 Bangladeshis died compared with a 100 injuries to its force.

The press is full of ying and yangs fully representing the country.  On one side the government is taking a very proactive approach with the environment and projecting that they are anti-corruption, then fail spectacularly at the next hurdle resorting back to status quo irrespective of what it is and more importantly - to the cost of life.  The politics of Bangladesh!