A world in trouble, not just Bangladesh

GBNEWS24DESK//

Along with many of you, I, too, am perturbed by the apparent panic (and muted enthusiasm) in some quarters, laced with immaturity and political aura, as the government, in late July, put into effect a countrywide load-shedding schedule. The move was cautionary “to conserve fuel amid soaring energy prices in the global market,” due to which Bangladesh has been experiencing a daily shortfall of 1,000-1,500MW of electricity.

In early June, The Washington Post reported that load-shedding prospects loomed over the US during summer. The US power grid is under stress like never before, with regulators warning that the kind of rolling outages that are now usual in California and Texas could be far more widespread. South Africa is another country to face rolling blackouts. Europe’s energy crisis is taking an ugly turn, no thanks to Russia’s gas monopoly. Such a fluid situation threatens to intensify the stress and anxiety of shaky economies.

No “country” is an island, with due apology to John Donne. Almost any major incident causes a ripple effect across the globe – a few ripples lasting longer and spreading further than the others. Expert (read: political) opinions are also rife, as typified by BNP Standing Committee Member Mirza Abbas’s declaration that “this load-shedding may lead to the fall of the [Awami League] government.” Blaming the government for plundering electricity and load-shedding, he said whether there was electricity production or not, owners of quick rental power plants would get paid.

Now is not the time to bask in romanticism, because this is a global catastrophe, exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, a lasting deadly virus, growing shortage of food and an energy crisis, compounded by natural forces triggered by decades of human neglect and naivety.

Seemingly sleeping politicians seem to be wide awake to any remote opening of unseating a sitting government – whatever be the human cost. While governments are gasping to maintain the status quo, the opposition camps are considering this debacle an opportunity to topple and take over, forgetting that their personal destiny is tied to a government’s rise and fall.

Imagine there is a change of guards by the twirl of a magic wand. Will gas ooze from the crevices of dried earth? Or shall coal sprout from a hitherto unknown volcano? Will the war in Ukraine come to an abrupt halt? Will global warming stop wreaking havoc in both hot and cold climates? Shall national entities across the borders learn from past misconduct and mistakes?

The Covid-19 contagion is now in its third year. Economic growth has been impeded. Physical and mental health has been severely affected. Nations, communities and many people have become poorer. Not complaining really, but a handful of companies have become wealthier by pouncing on the dire situation and gifted opportunity. All is fair in love, war and business.