Don’t stand in the puddle

The problems in Bangladesh are a subject of much debate and discussion in our house. This month I think the biggest one is probably corruption, but the problem symptom I’ve been experiencing most often is that of the power outages. As I write this at 5:14 pm the power has been on for a total of 1 hour since 8 am. Aside from these power outages, the wiring is down right dangerous. I was teaching our cook some new dishes this week and he told me not to touch the sides or I’d get shocked. Turns out the sides of the case are live. Unfortunately these situations are very common. Sockets are left ungrounded because that costs more money. Outlets develop loose connections after a few cord insertions and often spark and melt. Light and fans are wired in such a way that they look like spaghetti. There is no enforced electrical code and the absolute cheapest parts are used.

The problem is compounded by the fact that many people steal electricity. Officially the Bangladesh power board has only 1,922,361 consumers. The actual number is something else. I was walking home through a village and there was a young man of about 15 or 16 using a long piece of bamboo to play around with some wires attached to the power lines. An older man was walking past and stopped to give him some advice… Make sure you don’t stand in the puddle.