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THE recent government decision for extended Eid holidays is indeed a commendable one. This has made possible for more people to celebrate Eid in their village homes with near and dear ones. In addition, longer holidays give Dhaka an entirely different look. No crowd, no deafening sound of horns, no traffic jam.
Our familiar city of Dhaka wears an unfamiliar look for a few days. It becomes easier to drive and move from one place to another.
Environmental pollution comes down to almost nothing. There are fewer people near cinema halls and amusement parks. It is a totally different Dhaka which is otherwise unthinkable.
We wished Dhaka remained like the rest of the year. Gradually, trade and commerce get underway and vehicular traffic rolls on. Shops and establishments are reopened and more people converge on business centres and market places. And Dhaka becomes crowded again with moving people and traffic.
The only way to relieve Dhaka of the increasing pressures of people and vehicular movement and bring the pressures down to acceptable levels is to decentralise our systems of business and delegate authorities to different levels.
This will make things easier and people outside Dhaka will not be required to visit on flimsiest of grounds and they can get their jobs done outside the capital.
Otherwise, with increasing population Dhaka will be a worse place for living. The central jail has been shifted from old Dhaka and it will have a positive impact on the life of people there.
Mohammed Sohel Hara
Bonosree, Dhaka