EDITORIAL : THE DAILY STAR, BANGLADESH

Violence after road death

RMG workers' mindlessness

It seems that we have been endlessly caught up in the vicious cycle of death and destruction. The latest incident occurred on Dhaka-Gazipur highway when an RMG worker was killed after being run over by a passenger bus and the inevitable followed. Dozens of vehicles were smashed and many shops damaged. And the three major road links saw massive tailbacks. While we have all the sympathy for the dead and the injured, we find the automatic violent reaction rather incomprehensible. The grief is only but natural but the anger vented on hapless passers by and business establishments cannot be condoned.

And it is quite coincidental that a large number of RMG manufacturing factories straddle the main highways, and indeed in Dhaka city they are situated alongside the major roads, making movements on these extremely hazardous. And this brings us to the fundamental question of how to put an end to this.

First and foremost, it is essential to bring to book the culprit driver to book, and do so quickly. We have hardly come across news of an offending driver punished for running over a person. This is time to legislate mandatory minimum punishment for causing death due to negligent driving. And we feel that the situation calls for speedy disposal of road accident-related cases. The role of the police is no less important in ensuring that speed limits are maintained, particularly near the crossings and built up areas. And equally important is the role of the management who must encourage their workers to desist from violence in such an eventuality. 

A splendid invention!

Local research must be patronised

In a country where incidents of acid attacks are highest in the world, where thousands die and thousands more are permanently disabled by burn injuries ever year, the news of a Bangladeshi scientist's invention to sooth such wounds is heart-warming.

Dr. Azam Ali, based in New Zealand, has invented a bio-based wound dressing which cures severe wounds more effectively and 40 percent faster than any other medicine currently available. The scientist has expressed hope that, due to the availability of natural raw materials in Bangladesh, the product has bright prospects in our country and talks are on with a local pharmaceutical company concerning launch of the product here.

Ali's winning the Bayer Innovation of the Year Award for 2010 -- along with Hawaii-based Dr. Maqsudul Alam's jute genome sequencing, USA-based Dr. Ahmed Salahuddin's cyclone prediction technology and USA-based Dr. Anis Rahman's winning of the NASA Innovator Award, all in the last few years -- obviously raises questions about the state of scientific research in our own country. While there is potential, as is proven by Ali's local public university background, significant inventions have been few and far between. The reason lies in the failure to patent our inventions, due to lack of funding, specifically, government sponsorship. Related to this is the little value placed upon scientific research in our country, resulting in our own brains seeking and finding research opportunities abroad where their work is supported by foreign governments and academic institutions.

Market development opportunities, favoured access to export markets, abundant supply of skilled labour and high quality, low cost of manufacturing makes the pharmaceutical industry in Bangladesh a budding one with great potential, but without research and innovation, its growth remains restricted. We hope that the government will rightly value and patronise scientific research for human development and betterment.