Bluntness can cost you a job. Consider the case of Iqbal Hassan Mahmood. He has lost his job as a state minister in the power ministry not necessarily because of his failure to perform but because of his bluntness.

He was transferred to the ministry of agriculture with the same status only six days after he told a news conference that the nagging loadshedding will persist for at least another two years.

We all know that Mahmood has been a failure since the day he was given the charge of the power ministry as a state minister. In spite of the failure in generating new power and improving the distribution Mahmood kept his job in the ministry until May 21, the day he was removed to the agriculture.

His boss -- Prime Minister Khaleda Zia -- punished him only when he opted to speak the truth. Such frank speaking is not rewarded, especially when the offender is an official of Khaleda Zia’s administration. Few cheered the action against Iqbal Mahmud. Many have seen the action as Khaleda Zia’s bid to find a scapegoat. She found one in Mahmood -- a lawmaker from Sirajganj.

Many of those who keenly follow the happenings in the power ministry believe that the move against Mahmood was designed to divert public attention away from the crisis in the power sector that has triggered bloody protests in Kansat and several other places.

They say the Prime Minister, holding the power portfolio herself, has also to be blamed for the mess in the power sector.

The Prime Minister has now brought in another state minister to the power ministry in a desperate bid to boost generation and cut down power outages as much as possible.

Anwarul Kabir Talukder, a retired army major general, has now the job. We know little about Kabir who served as a state minister in the planning ministry.

Kabir was so much overshadowed by Finance and Planning Minister Saifur Rahman that the citizens of Bangladesh have got little chance to judge his work. Low-profile Kabir has now been placed in a high-profile job. He will now be under constant spotlight of the public. The media too will not leave him alone.

He, however, has one big problem. He has only about five months i.e. until October to ease the power crisis. Kabir will have to do what Mahmood failed to do in more than four years. A Himalayan job indeed.

The daily power shortage has jumped to more than 1,000 MW, according to the official stats. Power outages have become a real pain for the people. The usual daily power shortage intensifies whenever there occurs technical faults in the power plants. The power plants are known for tripping.

Kabir’s job is clear. He will have to generate new power for the national grid and provide some relief to the sufferers of frequent power outages. What is his plan to boost the generation we will wait to see.

To increase the generation Kabir needs to set up new power plants. To do that he needs money. Even if he gets the money he will have to be transparent in his work. The process of tenders must be open and transparent. Kabir must not forget that the lack of such openness and transparency was the reason why his predecessor had failed.

It has been alleged that new power plants could not be set up as concern was who will get the job. No new plant if the work does not go the chosen persons who are close to the government. That was one of the key factors why Mahmood could not perform.

Can Kabir make a difference?