special
BRT’s move to ditch e-buses for diesel raises eyebrows
In a surprising about-turn, the Dhaka Bus Rapid Transport Company Ltd has ditched a plan to introduce predominantly electric, or e-buses, on its under-construction Dhaka-Gazipur route.
According to official documents seen by UNB, officials now plan to operate the country’s first BRT route with a preponderance of diesel buses. Out of a total of 130 buses planned to ply the 20.2-kilometre dedicated bus lane, some 100 are set to be of the highly polluting diesel-run variety, while the remaining 30 ‘might’ be e-buses.
“This would be a major deviation in the project as originally electric vehicles were planned for the Dhaka-Gazipur route," a stakeholder who was strongly advocating for the use of environmentally-friendly vehicles in the scheme, told UNB.
"This will not only undermine the government's commitment to reducing its carbon footprint but also further inflate the cost of the project," he adds, requesting anonymity since he anticipates continued involvement in advocacy around the project, hoping to convince the authorities to go electric one day - again.
Read: Govt keen to expand digital banking, examine if digital currency could be launched
Official documents show that the Dhaka BRT outlined an annual plan for the fiscal year 2022-23, in which Tk 400 crore had been earmarked specifically to procure e-buses.
The government initiated the move to construct the corridor from Hazrat Shah Jalal International Airport to Gazipur, an extension of BRT line-3, in 2013. To implement the project, the Dhaka Bus Rapid Transport Company Ltd (DBRTCL) was formed as a state-owned company that same year.
The plan was for articulated buses with high carrying capacity to ply these dedicated lanes. There will be provision of e-ticketing, automatic ticket counters and Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) at the stations, of which there will be 25 on the Airport-Gazipur route, for the convenience of passengers.
On the project’s website, some of the earliest literature states: “Once implemented, BRT will be the country's first air-conditioned and environment-friendly, modern bus-based public transportation system. This system will carry 20,000 passengers per hour in both directions.”
As recently as July 4, the project invited interested parties to submit their preliminary expression of interest (PEOI) for “Procurement of Electrically Propelled- Standard (12 meter-long) Air-Conditioned Premium Buses for Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)”.
Read: Healthcare system rocked by Corona struggles to cope with dengue
About 40 interested parties subsequently submitted their respective proposals by the deadline of August 7, 2022. According to the invitation for PEOIs, which was published in four national newspapers including the Daily Star (a copy can be viewed on the project website), the next stage for the interested parties would be ‘International Competitive Bidding’.
But instead of that, the project authorities suddenly convened a meeting of those who submitted the PEOIs through an email circulated in September. It was at this meeting that the idea to procure diesel-run buses instead of e-buses, was first floated in public.
By speaking to a number of the attendees who were there on the strength of their PEOIs, UNB was able to establish that by the time this meeting ended, the idea of operating e-buses on the country’s first BRT route had been firmly chucked out.
Read More: Dhaka BRT girder tragedy: Probe body find 12 reasons for the accident
Instead, more detailed specifications for the kind of diesel buses they wanted were shared with the interested parties. Senior officials of the BRT project also shared that initially they would buy at least 100 units of diesel buses, out of a total requirement of 130 buses, for the route.
The sudden change of heart had come up In a question-answer session that followed the meeting. Safiqul Islam, whose role in the Dhaka BRT was that of a project director in the public sector, shared that it was at the ‘request’ of the French government’s international development arm, Agence Française de Développement (AFD), that was financing a substantial part of the project.
One of the participants at the meeting had said that Bangladesh was forgoing the opportunity to introduce the world's latest “zero emission e-buses” in its maiden BRT project, and added that the maintenance cost for e-buses is very low compared to diesel vehicles.
But it seemed nothing could sway the project authorities.
Read: Caretaker Govt: To be, or not to be?
The features that actually make for a modern BRT system - remote monitoring, surveillance camera system, Wi-Fi connectivity, cashless fare collection - are all just more compatible with e-buses, said a young entrepreneur who had been hoping to do business with the country’s first BRT.
Echoing the same, another stakeholder said if the Dhaka BRT goes for diesel-run buses, it has to set up two types of operation and maintenance systems (ONM), one for diesel-run buses, and another for electric vehicles.
That too would escalate the cost substantially. Besides, the introduction of diesel-run buses would create systemic problems as well. In the BRT system, the buses usually keep their doors on the right side to facilitate passengers' easy entry and exit.
But the proposed diesel-run buses will have no right side entry-exit system. Instead they will have a left side entry system which will not be compatible with the BRT system, he said.
Read More: BGMEA seeks cooperation of BRT to make garment workers’ Eid journey easy
The private parties which are involved in the BRT project under different capacities said the “errant move” by the Dhaka BRT authorities surprised many, including environmentalists, and transport sector experts who smell a rat in the project.
Defying logic?
Sharif Jamil, general secretary of the Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA), an environmental advocacy group, termed the initiative for introducing diesel-run buses ‘illogical’ - given that it was all set to go electric.
“Obviously a diesel-run bus will have a negative impact on the environment and its operation costs will be higher too than e-buses," he said.
State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid even said recently that the government wants to promote electric vehicles, as its energy efficiency is 80 percent against diesel-run vehicles’ 20 percent, according to Jamil.
Read: Despite repeated warnings, Food Minister rules out any possibility of food crisis in Bangladesh
“The Power Division has also adopted a policy-guideline for EV charging stations,” he added. But then why would they be turned off the idea of e-buses for the BRT project at this late stage? There was no satisfactory answer.
From the horse’s mouth
For that, UNB was able to reach the managing director of the DBRTCL, Safiqul Islam.
A career bureaucrat with extensive experience in the Road Transport & Highways Division (RTHD), Islam had been serving as an additional secretary at the RTHD when he was picked up to lead the state-owned DBRTCL.
He defended the move to procure diesel-run buses for the project by deferring to decisions taken at the Ministry level.
Read: Dhaka’s traffic chaos: Officials have no answers
“This is the decision of the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges as no feasibility study for introducing e-buses has been completed yet,” he said.
He then claimed that the original plans for the BRT had been drawn up with diesel buses in mind. To anyone familiar with the project’s timeline, those plans must be at least ten years old now. It doesn’t quite match an invitation for PEOIs published in July.
“But we will gradually introduce e-buses once the feasibility study is complete,” said Islam. He also added at this stage that they had moved to procure diesel buses as they have no technical knowledge and experience in operating e-buses.
This was nothing that could not be fixed with some weeks of training and getting used to. The BRT project is already one of the longest-delayed projects in the country’s history, plagued by numerous false starts, flip flops, and oversights.
As things stand, the Hazrat Shahjalal Airport to Gazipur corridor has a completion date by the end of this year, after which it may be pressed into service in the new year i.e. 2023.
The project’s cost has more than doubled over the years, from the Tk 2,040 crore estimated in 2012 to the Tk 4,268 crore allocated till today.
Islam’s final words of reassurance were only slightly more specific.
“Once the feasibility study is complete, the Dhaka BRT will move to procure 50 e-buses,” he said.
This architect couple chose to live in Jhenaidah, designed an award-winning river space
Khondaker Hasibul Kabir and Suhailey Farzana, an architect couple from Jhenaidah in Bangladesh, have shown the world how they co-designed a public space in their own town – keeping in mind the nature and people.
Their community-led initiative titled “Urban River Spaces, Jhenaidah” is one of the winners of the 2022 Aga Khan Award for Architecture.
Six award winners, who will share the $1 million award – one of the largest in architecture – show promise for communities, innovation and attention to environment.
Read: 2 Bangladesh projects win 2022 Aga Khan Award for Architecture
The award giving ceremony will be held at Royal Opera House of Musical Arts Monday night (Muscat time).
“This is not a project, I would say, rather it’s a process that has begun,” Farzana, who came to Muscat with his husband and son, told UNB hours before receiving the prestigious award.
Govt mulling introduction of ‘national social safety insurance’
The government is keen to introduce a national social insurance scheme in Bangladesh in phases with an aim to enhance social safety of the factory workers and common people, according to an official document.Officials with knowledge of the process say a study has already been conducted on this prospective scheme, initiated by the Cabinet Division, by laying emphasis on the gradual introduction of four types of social insurance services in the country. It envisages unemployment insurance, maternity insurance, sickness insurance and employment injury Insurance, which is focused on the country’s factory workers, according to a document obtained by UNB.
The Ministry of Labour and Employment has already taken steps to launch a pilot of the employment injury scheme to protect factory workers from injuries.
Read more: Proposed budget’s social safety allocation not enough, speakers say at CPD dialogueOfficials involved with the process say that ensuring workers’ safety in line with the global standard is crucial as human rights organisations and workers’ rights groups are more vocal than ever about workplace safety and workers’ rights at home and abroad. Global brands, especially in the garment sector, are concerned about compliance when it comes to workers’ welfare.
Global recognition proves Bangladeshi architecture can become an example for countries
Bangladesh can be an example for other countries if people from all disciplines, not just the architects, can put in their best efforts for the country, says a young architect.
“We got the recognition relatively in a very early stage. It proves that those in the architecture discipline are demonstrating world class examples,” architect Saad Ben Mostafa told UNB.
Mostafa is one of the three young architects whose project titled “Community Spaces in Rohingya Refugee Response, Cox’s Bazar” won the prestigious 2022 Aga Khan Award for Architecture (AKAA).
Six winners, who will share the USD 1 million award, one of the biggest in architecture, show promise for communities, innovation and care for the environment.
Read more: 2 Bangladesh projects win 2022 Aga Khan Award for Architecture
Mostafa along with his two teammates — architects Khwaja Fatmi and Rizvi Hassan — will receive the award with other winners on Monday.
The graduate from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) laid emphasis on focusing on work while understanding people’s needs and roots, not just replicating foreign designs.
“I would say, we are going to receive the award on behalf of all. I see it as a big recognition for Bangladesh,” architect Fatmi told UNB.
Architect Hassan said they wanted to see whether they can work based on local elements – taking materials and creating a beautiful, sustainable and an advanced design.
Read More: Bangladesh project among Aga Khan Award for Architecture Winners
In future, he said, they want to work in rural areas. “We want to engage people from the villages in our work. We want to see them join hands with us. We will work together.”
Govt keen to expand digital banking, examine if digital currency could be launched
The government of Bangladesh is optimistic about expanding digital banking in the country to accelerate financial inclusion with an aim to create more jobs for young jobseekers.
According to an official document seen by UNB, the government has stepped in to examine the possibility of “establishing digital banks.”
It says if digital banking, which involves high levels of process automation and web-based services, could be expanded new jobs will be created for graduates in information technology. Digital banking provides services mostly through non-physical means such as app-based requesting systems and without printed paperwork, without filling out forms and making transactions through e-wallets.
Read more: Towards a cashless society: MFS monthly transactions cross Tk 1.11 lakh crore
The government is also considering if Bangladesh Bank can introduce digital currency. Introduction of Central Bank Digital Currency (CDBC) will facilitate currency in virtual transactions and encourage startups and e-commerce businesses, the document says.
It is to be noted that establishing digital banks is under either initial implementation or experimental stage in various developed countries and some developing countries in Asia including Singapore, Malaysia and India.
It also says that introduction of services like Mobile Financial Services (MFS) and Agent Banking in the country has facilitated financial inclusion.
Read more: MFS transforming money transactions in Bangladesh, soon to cross Tk. 1 trillion
But, it says, due to lack of interoperability of transactions between MFS service providers, the users of the service did not have the opportunity to perform direct inter-transactions.
“To make financial inclusion more dynamic, the government has introduced financial interoperability in the country and fixed nominal fee and charge for inter-transactions,” it says.
The government has also formulated the National Financial Inclusion Strategy-Bangladesh (NFIS-B) to establish social cohesion and economic stability by ensuring access to quality financial services for people from all walks of life.
Read Bangladesh Bank to flirt with digital currency en route to cashless society
Its main objective is to provide a comprehensive framework through which cooperation may be enhanced by coordinating and prioritising the work of all stakeholders involved in financial inclusion activities.
The NFIS National Council (NNC) has been formed to implement various programmes under the said strategy.
“All these steps will further strengthen the foundation of the financial inclusion process in Bangladesh,” it says.
Read HSBC introduces domestic foreign currency transaction through RTGS
As the risky use of virtual currencies such as Crypto Currencies continues to grow worldwide, many central banks around the world are working to launch digital versions of their currencies as an alternative to Crypto Currencies.
The main purpose of launching Central Bank Digital Currency (CDBC) is to facilitate currency in virtual transactions and to encourage startups and e-commerce businesses.
As a result of the time-befitting steps of the present government, the coverage of the internet and e-commerce in the country has increased tremendously.
Read World's 7th largest data centre eyes foreign currency
In this context, Bangladesh Bank will conduct a feasibility study on the possibility of introducing digital currency in Bangladesh.
The Bangladesh Systemic Risk Dashboard is being made to identify the systemic risks and present the assessment of Bangladesh Bank to the stakeholders on a half-yearly basis.
The financial projection model is being implemented to identify potential risks and weaknesses in the financial system.
Read Digital Currency: Benefits and Risks of the Cashless Economy in Bangladesh
Moreover, an interbank transaction matrix is being implemented to determine the nature, risk, and contagion effect of interbank transactions.
Bangladesh Bank has formulated a recovery plan to prepare the banks for digital banking to adapt automatically and efficiently to the situation of severe stress in advance.
'5G can change the face of industry in Bangladesh'
In an exclusive interview with UNB, Huawei's Asia Pacific Region's Vice President Zhang Zhengjun recently spoke about the tech giant's plans in Bangladesh.
Q. 5G is here already. What are your plans for Bangladesh?
Yes, in the Asia-Pacific region, 5G is already a hot topic. Korea and Japan were among the first countries to launch 5G. Thailand followed. Now, 30% of Thais are using 5G.
Bangladesh is an important country for us. In 2020, Huawei participated in the Digital Bangladesh Mela where we showcased the real power of 5G -- mobile internet speed up to 1.6 GBps.
We have had a lot discussions with the Bangladesh government and telecom operators.
Though 4G has been catering to the needs of mobile users for watching videos on YouTube or using TikTok, or Facebook, I found weak signal at many places -- like in Sylhet and Mymensingh.
There are 183 million mobile subscribers in Bangladesh. For such a large population, more cellular towers are required for ensuring better coverage.
I believe Bangladesh Telecom Regulatory Authority (BTRC) and Post and Telecommunication Division (PTD) will encourage telecom companies to facilitate installation of more mobile towers in Bangladesh to provide continuous network coverages.
And, this improvement should be ensured in all cities and rural areas across Bangladesh; not only in the major cities like Dhaka and Chattogram. So, this is important to bridge the digital divide.
Read more: Huawei: Maximise network resources for 5G's commercial success
Bangladesh government has already released 5G spectrum. However, 5G is more used in industrial areas. In China, for instance, 5G is widely in use in hospitals, port areas, manufacturing units. Bangladesh should take note of these things.
PTD has plans to utilise 5G in Chattogram. In a port city like Chattogram, a lot of workers are there to control different machineries. They stay at their workplaces for a very long time. If 5G is introduced there, workers can control the machines remotely because of the low latency and massive connections.
So, this kind of advantages could be used for industries in Chattogram and Mongla port areas and also at airports in different cities. For consumer uses, 4G is not bad, but l, of course, 5G will be better.
Manufacturing units can benefit from the use of 5G. Assembling lines that need a lot of cables to connect with different equipment during the production of, say, a mobile handset, can use 5G to save time and money.
In Bangladesh, the garment industry can also bank on artificial intelligence plus 5G to boost production.
Q. You said that Thailand, China and Korea have already launched 5G. In Bangladesh, we are still advocating for 4G’s expansion and 5G’s industrial use. But what is your experience in these three countries?
I think there are two aspects. People are more interested in 5G, especially in Korea, where there is a very big entertainment industry. People enjoy HD videos and gaming, which draw them to 5G. In Bangkok, thanks to 5G, the mobile internet speed is much faster and data traffic is much better. Moreover, different industries in both the countries also want to utilise 5G to improve efficiency and save costs.
I think operators also want to promote 5G, because now, especially in countries like Bangladesh, there's 2G to 5G. And for every technology, you need a network, even more than one network, because you have a different spectrum.
As there are so many networks, you need a lot of money for operation and maintenance; there’s a huge cost in terms of both Capex and Opex. So operators want to merge it; for example, in some countries, 3G has been shut down. In Bangladesh, I believe they will focus more on 4G and 5G.
Q. What would be your suggestion for the country, which is lagging in 4G coverage but 5G is available?
Let’s take Bangladesh as an example. The first suggestion is that 4G is the foundation. So, continuous and very good experience of 4G network is still needed.
The government and operators need to join hands and work together with that, because in rural areas, honestly speaking, there’s not so much convenience there, because even if you put up a tower and set up the network, revenue is little. So how to encourage operators to set up the network in rural areas and make coverage continuous and seamless -- is an important topic.
Read more: Huawei promises more innovation to push 5G operations ahead globally
And secondly, I think that 5G should be used extensively in some peak traffic areas like Chattogram and Dhaka. Because there we have high-end users – some people who use 5G handsets want 5G and better experience in online gaming.
Industries can use 5G for digitalisation that will help improve efficiency. Maybe you don’t have to roll out 5G countrywide in the very beginning, it depends on the needs.
Q. The entire world is suffering from energy crisis. Bangladesh is no exception. In that case, how Huawei’s tech like 5G can help countries like ours in energy?
Actually, regarding this, I think I can tell you two aspects. One thing is about the grid itself. Especially like in China, we use 5G to monitor the grid network to guarantee its smooth functioning. We also use drones to check power lines. Secondly, talking about energy, Huawei also have solar power solutions.
A one-time investment on solar power can serve upto 30 years, and you don’t have to import more oil. Now the unit price of solar power is equal or even less than a unit of traditional electricity.
Q. What about the health sector, do you have any plan for smart hospitals?
I do believe every country needs smart hospitals. From a Bangladesh perspective, I believe you need a network to cover the entire country.
Currently, every hospital is isolated, very independent. So, one common challenge is that one patient, when he or she goes to the hospital and do some checkups, and then it's difficult for them to get this record at another hospital because the data is not centralised. In rural areas, it's difficult for people to access proper healthcare. Here, comes the role of technology again.
Read more: Huawei ICT Incubator announces top 6 startups from Bangladesh
Q. You have a strong partnership in Bangladesh in building telecom structure. What's your next plan?
We are in Bangladesh for 23 years. Huawei has different business groups. The first one we call it CNBG (Carrier Network Business Group) that is the area with telecom operators. Secondly, we have the Enterprise Business. We cooperate with enterprises and the government. The third one is Consumer Business Group that includes laptops, tablets and wearables. And another one is Huawei Cloud. We started Huawei Cloud in Bangladesh in 2018.
Next is our Digital Power that reflects smart energy/solar power. So talking about solar power in Bangladesh, we cooperate with the government and try to promote it. We have the second largest solar power plant in Mymensingh.
Q. Over the next five years or so, where does Huawei want to stand in Bangladesh?
Actually, I believe the operators, I mean, the carrier business has still potential. Because 5G is not yet ready and 4G lacks countrywide coverage. So, I believe there is a high potential of work in this area. I can say that operators, regulators and also suppliers like us will need to understand each other and collaborate to make the network better.
Especially now, we value our position in Bangladesh. Bangladesh's economy is stable and growing. So, now it is high time for Bangladesh to grow further in the digital sector. We are paying more and more attention to the Bangladesh market, and we will try to develop a better ecosystem.
Paikgacha bears the maximum brunt of cyclone Sitrang
Khulna's Paikgacha upazila has faced the maximum brunt of cyclone Sitrang, with local farmers notching up huge losses in the natural calamity.
Cyclone Sitrang made landfall in the coastal districts on October 24.
Though there were no casualties in Paikgacha, crops spread over several hectares and a number of fish enclosures were damaged in incessant rains triggered by the cyclone.
Read more:300 sheltered at WildTeam’s Conservation Biology Centre during Sitrang
According to various government and private sources, around 112 fishing enclosures, 207 mud houses and crops spread over 187 hectares have been damaged.
Paikgacha upazila senior fisheries officer Md Tipu Sultan said that about 6.1 metric tonnes of fish across 112 enclosures, belonging to 83 farmers, have been washed away.
In Garuikhali union, fish farmers suffered losses to the tune of Tk 30.71 lakh.
"Due to the rains from Sunday night till Tuesday morning, most of the fish enclosures were washed away. Besides, the fish enclosures along the Garh-Ikhali river suffered damages," Tipu said.
Md Amirul Azad, senior meteorologist of Khulna Meteorological Office, said the district recorded a total of 229 mm rainfall in 48 hours to Tuesday morning.
Read more:Sitrang: Thousands marooned in Barishal city
Meanwhile, Paikgacha upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) Mumtaz Begum said the local administration was adequately prepared ahead of Sitrang.
"So, the impact of the disaster was less and no specific loss of life and property was reported," she said. "Besides, there were no reports of any embankment collapse in the upazila."
Despite repeated warnings, Food Minister rules out any possibility of food crisis in Bangladesh
Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder says that the country has enough food in stock, and he sees no chance of food crisis unless natural disasters hit the country out of the blue.
In a recent interview with UNB, the minister, who is a three-time MP from Naogaon-1, says that his ministry is taking steps so that no land in the country remains uncultivated.
“Boro season is coming soon after the current Aman season. We’ll take steps so that Boro is cultivated in all the cultivable land. We’ve already asked the Ministry of Agriculture to ensure proper irrigation during the upcoming Boro season,” Sadhan says.
The minister says that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has asked all the MPs to stay careful in their constituencies so that farmers cultivate their land for maximum production in the upcoming harvest season.
To avoid any crisis, he says, they are encouraging farmers to increase their production.
“Numerous crops are cultivated in our fertile land. We get Aman, Aush and Boro. Although a drought-like situation prevailed this year because of less or no rain, later precipitation in July-August finally helped us reach our rice production target. There are some crops, which were delayed to plant, so there may be a shortage of them. Overall, we have remained very careful to prevent any kind of food crisis,” Sadhan says.
About how much food the country currently has in stock, Sadhan says that there is enough food stock to feed everyone.
“At present, we’ve 17 lakh tons of rice in stock. Another 5.3 lakh tons of rice are in the pipeline. Besides, a ship carrying 30,000 tons of rice from Myanmar will enter Bangladesh soon. In total, we’ll have 20 lakh tons of rice in stock by the end of October,” Sadhan says.
He says that the government has the capacity to meet the country’s food demand.
“The food that the government has in stock is spent on various government programmes, including Open Market Sale (OMS), test relief (TR) and food for work schemes (Kabikha). We’ll import food if this stock runs out,” Sadhan says adding that usually a stock of 10 to 12 lakh tons of rice is adequate.
“But we already have more,” he says.
He says Bangladesh usually imports from India, but now steps have been taken to import from Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand.
“We’ve obtained clearance from Thailand, Vietnam and Myanmar. We have offers from Cambodia to import rice from there. We’re looking for more sources for rice import. We’ll be able to tackle any crisis by importing food from these countries if a food crisis looms,” Sadhan says.
The minister says that importers have been allowed to import rice privately by paying only 5 percent to the government exchequer. A government order will remain effective till December regarding this opportunity.
“We’ll extend this Statutory Regulatory Order (SRO) if we see that the farmers are getting fair prices for their crops,” Sadhan says.
About the current electricity crisis that may hamper irrigation during the next Boro season, Sadhan says that the Ministry of Agriculture is responsible for this job.
“Irrigation during the upcoming Boro season will be hampered without constant supply of electricity. However, I believe the Agriculture Ministry will take necessary steps to deal with power outages during the upcoming season,” Sadhan says.
Revival of graft cases: BNP leaders say it’s a tactic to derail anti-govt movement
While the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has recently been gearing up its anti-government movement defying all sorts of obstacles, party leaders say the government is reviving some pending cases against the leaders and activists with a motive to derail the movement.
Some BNP leaders and lawyers say authorities may send some party leaders to jail to convey a message to the opposition party that they would not be spared ahead of the next general election.
But the government repeatedly denied such allegations by BNP in the past, saying that authorities do not influence courts.
Read Over 20 injured after police obstruct BNP volunteers’ march in Port City; 10 detained
Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, a member of BNP’s Standing Committee, told UNB that the government has become “very nervous” over the overall social, political and economic situation while there is pressure from the international community to restore democracy through an inclusive and credible election.
“The government has been failing to stop people’s participation in our rallies despite carefully-orchestrated obstacles against us. So, the government is desperate to reinforce their repressive acts to suppress us,” he said.
“But it’s clear from our recent successful rallies that such a political tactic will not work,” he said.
On Tuesday, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court cleared the way for a lower court to continue the trial involving graft charges against BNP Standing Committee Member Mirza Abbas. The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) filed the case in 2007 on charges of amassing wealth illegally.
Read Bus owners threaten strike on Nov 4, 5 in Barishal ahead of BNP’s rally
The trial proceedings against Khandaker Mosharraf on charges of siphoning off Tk 90 million are also set to enter its final stage. The ACC filed the case in 2014, accusing him of making money illegally when he was the health minister from 2001-2006.
The ACC has also started an investigation against nine other people, including Standing Committee members Nazrul Islam Khan and Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, for suspicious transactions before the 11th parliamentary elections.
Lawyers loyal to BNP say the trials of many cases against BNP leaders and activists are going on with lower courts in Dhaka and elsewhere.
BNP says around 36 lakh BNP leaders and activists are now facing over one lakh cases. They say the charges are politically motivated.
Read: Thousands join as BNP’s Khulna rally starts earlier than scheduled
Healthcare system rocked by Corona struggles to cope with dengue
With the nation's healthcare system still only recovering from the blow of the Coronavirus pandemic, many hospitals in the city including Dhaka Medical College Hospital are struggling to provide treatment to the rising number of dengue patients due to a shortage of beds.
In scenes reminiscent of the country's worst-ever dengue outbreak in 2019, many patients suffering from dengue fever were seen receiving treatment on floors and balconies as hospitals ran out of beds to accommodate them.
Visiting various areas in the city, UNB found a number of medical facilities including Holy Family Hospital, Mugda Medical College and Hospital, Bangladesh Shishu Hospital & Institute, Dhaka Medical College Hospital and Kurmitola General Hospital treating patients on the floor, as all the beds in the respective wards have been filled with patients being treated for the mosquito-borne disease.
Read: 409 new Dengue patients hospitalised in 24 hrs, no death
Last Sunday (Oct. 23), the number of daily hospitalisations reported by the Directorate General of Health Services crossed 1000 for the first time this year, from 922 the day before. Hospitalisations did drop back down as the week progressed, to reach 750 on Wednesday.
The number of infections may start to fall in the first week of November, said Dr Nazmul Islam, Director of the Disease Control Department of DGHS.
Recently, the number of dengue patients has increased across the country. But the fatalities can be considerably reduced if patients go to the doctor at the right time, he said. He also said that dengue has increased due to climate change. Besides, the mosquito-borne disease has increased this time due to the lack of awareness also, he said.
Read Dengue Fever: Symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, prevention
A seasonal shift
The current surge in cases and deaths is indeed recent. Authorities reported the first death from dengue this year with nearly half of it gone, on June 21. After that there were 9 deaths in July, and 11 in August, but the situation really started exploding in September, that witnessed a spike in the number of deaths to 34.
October has been the second-deadliest month for dengue ever witnessed in Bangladesh, with 65 people dying from the disease in just the first 26 days of the month.
Public health expert Dr Mohammad Abdus Sabur Khan said that although dengue intensity usually decreases in September, this time the situation has reversed.
Read Food, Drinks during Dengue: What to consume, what to avoid
“It’s October now, but dengue is showing no sign of retreating. It seems like dengue will prevail till mid-November this time,” Khan said.
“Creating awareness among the public is a must to rein in the dengue menace. We’ve taken various steps in this regard,” Health Minister Zahid Maleque told UNB.
He went on to name three hospitals - Dhaka North Corporation Hospital, a new unit of BSMMU, and Lalkuthi Hospital - that have been kept ready to deal with any emergency. Many might say the emergency is already here, especially in light of the kind of October we have witnessed.
Read Adequate measures taken for treatment of Dengue patients: Health Minister