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Motorbikes are becoming the biggest killer on roads in Bangladesh: Experts
Experts have suggested that the authorities control the use of motorcycles, blamed for causing the highest number of road traffic crashes and fatalities across the country.
According to the experts the two-wheeler bikes are at least 30 times more accident-prone compared with four-wheelers.
Many western countries and some Asian countries, particularly Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia have already started encouraging the use of bicycles replacing motorbikes to reduce accidents, they said.
READ: Motorcycle Categories: Different Types of Motorbikes Explained
But no serious attention is being paid to control motorbikes in Bangladesh. Rather the government’s fiscal policy promotes these two-wheeler vehicles, claimed the experts.
With the increase of motorbikes on the roads the number of fatal accidents is also rising, said the experts.
The casualties in motorcycle accidents doubled in the last two years, according to the 2021 report of Road Safety Foundation, an organisation that campaigns for safe roads.
Read Wear quality helmets while on the streets, IGP tells motorbikers
In 2021, a total of 6,284 people were killed and 7,468 others were injured in 5,371 road accidents throughout the country.
Of them, 2,214 people (motorcyclists and pillion riders) were killed in 2,078 motorcycle accidents, which are 35.23 per cent of the total casualties and 38.68 per cent of all road accidents respectively.
But the total number of people who lost lives in motorcycle accidents was 1,462 in 2020 and 945 in 2019. Also the number of motorbike accidents was only 1,189 in 2019.
READ: Traffic Dept’s daylong drive in capital sees 120 motorbikes seized
“According to science, two-wheeler vehicles are 30 times more accident-prone as compared to four-wheeler vehicles. It is well documented internationally. But the risk might be higher here in Bangladesh due to chaotic traffic and lack of safety measures,” said Prof Dr Md Shamsul Hoque, former director of the Accident Research Institute at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET).
Terming the motorbikes as a ‘curse’ on the road, he said the problem would be more severe in the coming days as the government’s fiscal policy promotes the risky vehicles instead of discouraging them.
“It’s time for our soul-searching and take steps to check motorbikes,” he said.
Read Motorbike Riding in Winter: How to beat the cold weather?
He said the two-wheelers have no balance and are very unstable, which causes accidents even due to speed breakers and small potholes. They face greater risks of being hit by large vehicles.
Its riders are mostly youths and teenagers who feel thrilled with speed and high-sound and love to ride recklessly, he said. Those who have fiancé and girlfriends prefer motorbikes with pillion seats inclined to the rider, he said.
Besides, motorcycle configuration and design are also attractive to youths, said Prof Hoque.
Read Safety Gears for Motorcycle Riders: Necessity and Types
Since there is no shield for motorcyclists and pillion riders, they are killed, in many cases, by the second strike or run over by another vehicle on active roads, he said.
In many other countries, bicycles instead of motorbikes are promoted for the sake of the safety and healthy life as well as to prevent environmental pollution as two-wheelers are a major source of noise pollution, he said.
Another former ARI Director Prof Moazzem Hossain said the motorbike accidents are growing as these speedy vehicles, which are by-default accident-prone ones, are increasing in number, and simultaneously its riders are reckless in following traffic rules.
Read Motorbike kills a woman returning home from afternoon walk
“Since the government could not ensure alternative reliable public transportation systems in the major cities, motorcycles are mushrooming in the country. A big policy mistake is here,” he said.
Prof Hossain suggested development of bicycle networks and lanes alongside developing planned public bus systems in the major cities and throughout the country. The government has financial capacity to introduce reliable and safe bus services here, he added.
General Secretary of National Committee to Protect Shipping, Roads and Railways Ashis Kumar Dey said, “Increasing motorbike accidents have emerged as a matter of deep concern in the country.”
Read Schoolboy commits suicide over motorcycle
He mentioned unskilled and untrained riders, reckless riding, young riders, providing passengers and goods services by motorcyclists, laxity in following and enforcing laws and traffic rules as major causes for growing motorbike accidents in the country.
According to Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), the number registered motorbikes are more than 35 lakh. Nearly nine lakh of the registered motorcycles operate in Dhaka city alone.
Mango wonder: 200 varieties in a single tree in Chapainawabganj
Want to see 200 varieties of mangoes in a single tree? Wait until the next mango season and plan a visit to this mango hub.
Saplings of 200 varieties of mangoes have been grafted in an aging mango tree on the Circuit House premises of Chapainawabganj thanks to an initiative by the immediate past district commissioner Manjurul Hafeez.
Old branches of the tree have been pruned before the grafting, officials involved in the experiment said recently.
The grafted new branches have already grown leaves, the officials said hoping that the new varieties will be available for plucking in the next season of the juicy fruit.
Read:Solar power: The ultimate cap on costlier crude?
In its peak, Covid wave may continue for another 2 weeks in Bangladesh: Experts
As the community transmission of Covid-19 fueled by the highly virulent Omicron variant is going on in full swing across the country, public health experts warned that the uptrend in the virus infection may continue for two more weeks.
They also said the Covid positivity rate may hit a plateau in mid-February before a steep decline toward the end of the next month.
As per official data, Bangladesh has been witnessing more than 30 percent infection rate for the last few days, but the experts believe the actual rate and number of infections is much higher than the government’s count since a huge number of virus-infected people remain untested.
Talking to UNB, public health experts Dr Abu Jamil Faisel, Dr Be-Nazir Ahmed, Dr Mushtuq Hussain, and MH Chowdhury Lenin advised the government to strictly enforce the Covid restrictions alongside forcing people to maintain health safety rules to slow down the transmission of the virus.
Read: 175 officials including MD of Barapukuria Coal Mine contract Covid; coal extraction suspended
Covid reaching peak
Dr Leanin, chairman of the medicine department at the Health and Hope Hospital, said the country is seeing an exponential rise in the number of coronavirus cases, as the current Covid wave is going to reach its peak.
He said the declining phase in the third wave of the deadly coronavirus may begin from the third week of February. “The infection rate may decline sharply or slowly depending on how the preventive measures are being enforced,” the expert noted.
He said the country can conduct more than two lakh tests by using Rapid antigen kits. “But I don’t know why the number of such tests is still very low. So, many people are remaining out of Covid tests and we’re not getting the real picture of Covid transmission.”
“As we get a partial scenario of the Covid situation, our public health experts sometimes fail to give the exact projection,” Lenin observed.
Dr Faisel, a member of the Public Health Advisory Committee of Covid-19, said the Covid infections will show the uptrend until the second week of February. “The situation may improve at the end of the coming month.”
He, however, said many infected people are not undergoing tests. “So, the actual number of infected people is not reflected in the official count. The official reporting on Covid infection is only the tip of the iceberg. At least one or two lakh people are getting infected daily.”
Rural people’s vulnerability
Dr Faisel said the virus transmission will now continue to grow in different districts. “This virus may not leave anyone. It’s a matter of concern that many people in rural areas remain unvaccinated.”
He said people in rural areas are little concerned about undergoing Covid tests. “So, we won’t get the real picture of the Covid situation though the community transmission is going on in most districts.”
The expert said the situation has now reached such a level that community transmission cannot be stopped. “We should now focus on patient management. We should keep all our district hospitals ready to deal with Covid patients since the majority of people in rural areas still remain unvaccinated.”
He said people who still did not receive any dose of the vaccine are very vulnerable to the virus. “So, they should remain very alert. Besides, special attention should be given to the elderly people and those who have comorbidities as the death rate among these people is high.”
Restrictions only on papers
Dr Mushtuq Hussain, a consultant at the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), said though the Covid cases are growing alarmingly, people are still showing serious apathy to health safety rules.
He said the government also seems reluctant about enforcing laws to force people to maintain health protocols. “If it continues, I think, the current wave may linger for a longer period than our projection.”
Dr Faisel said most government restrictions are there only on papers, as there is no visible drive to enforce those properly. “People are still reluctant about wearing masks, avoiding mass gatherings.”
He said the government should strictly enforce all the restrictions to slow down Covid transmission.
Besides, the expert said, the vaccination drive should be intensified to bring the targeted population under its coverage as soon as possible.
Dr Be-Nazir Ahmed, an infectious disease expert, said the government is not serious about controlling the outbreak of the virus. “Though many restrictions have been imposed, everything is going on as usual. “The international trade fair, different elections, all social congregations are going on while shops and markets remain open.”
He said though the death rate is very low, every life has its value. “We should make all possible efforts to save lives and keep people protected from the virus infection.”
The expert said people should remain very careful for at least three more weeks. “They shouldn’t go outside without any urgent needs and avoid any gathering. “Health safety rules should be followed properly and no one should go outside without wearing masks.”
Read: DGHS shortens isolation period for Covid patients to 10 days
Another wave may roll in April
Dr Benzair thinks the third wave of Covid may come under control in the middle of March next, but another one to hit the country later.
“The government must remain alert as the country may see the surge of the virus during April again. We shouldn’t forget that we saw a serious spike in Covid cases during April over the last two years,” he warned.
He said it seems the coronavirus is unlikely to say goodbye anytime soon as more dangerous variants may emerge anytime. “We need to learn how to live with this virus.”
Tiger recovered from Sundarbans canal most likely died of natural causes
The Forest Department recovered a dead tiger's carcass from Rupar canal near Dublarchar at the Sundarbans in Bagerhat on Friday morning.
Muhammad Belayet Hossain, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of the Sundarbans Eastern Division, said members of the Forest Department were on patrol on Friday morning when they saw the tiger carcass floating in Rupar canal of the forest.
The approximate age of the male tiger was 16 to 17 years, the official said.
This forest official believed that the Royal Bengal Tiger died due to aging as no wounds were noticed on the tiger's body.
However, an autopsy will ascertain the cause of death, he added.
Tigers' death in Sundarbans
Earlier, a tiger carcass was recovered from the Dhanchebaria sandbar on the Bhola River in the eastern part of the Sundarbans in March 2021. In July 2020, two tigers had died in the eastern and western parts of the Sundarbans in just five and a half months, said the Forest Department.
According to the Forest Department, 40 tigers have died in the Sundarbans in various ways from 2001 to January 28 of 2022.
Of these, 24 tigers died in the eastern part of the Sundarbans while 16 in the western part.
Also read: Dead tiger’s autopsy conducted in Sundarbans
Sometimes tigers are killed by poachers. Besides, some tigers died after being beaten by the locals when they came out of the Sundarbans.
And some tigers died in natural disasters as well as due to illness and aging.
On the other hand, about 20 tiger hides have been recovered during this period.
According to the latest survey of 2018, there were 114 tigers in the Bangladesh part of the Sundarbans. However, the Forest Department cannot say how many tigers there are in the Sundarbans right now.
The Forest Department hopes that the number of tigers in the Sundarbans has increased due to various initiatives taken to protect the tigers.
Read: Govt withdraws ban on tourist launch movement in Sundarbans
Dhaka to become “economically more pertinent” to Canberra with geopolitical aspects in mind
With the newer kind of appreciation of Bangladesh’s value in Australia, Dhaka is now making its all-out efforts to become “economically more pertinent” to Canberra by jointly exploring the vast areas of cooperation keeping the geopolitical imperatives in mind.
“I think there has been a newer kind of appreciation of Bangladesh’s value. And particularly in the last three-four years, we actually started shaking the tree by projecting that Bangladesh is no longer a Bangladesh of 2005 or 2010. It’s changing very fast. And we see this is getting reflected at various levels,” Bangladesh High Commissioner to Australia Mohammad Sufiur Rahman told UNB in an interview marking the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries that falls on January 31.
All these past years, he said, Australia has been supportive and there is no doubt about it. But there was a perception in Australia that Bangladesh is a disaster-prone and aid-dependent country.
“So, we’ve tried our level best to change it by projecting Bangladesh as a self-assured and self-dependent country which is emerging as a middle economic power in this Indian Ocean region,” said the High Commissioner, adding that it has been their focus in the recent period to change that negative narrative.
Highlighting the huge perception change from the Australian side, he said persistent efforts of the Bangladesh Mission over the last three-four years to create a new narrative of Bangladesh in Australia have started paying dividends.
Signing of Trade and Investment Framework Arrangement (TIFA), repeated telephone calls from Australian Foreign Minister to Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen and request from Australian Prime Minister for meeting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during COP26 in Glasgow indicate a significant change in the approach from the Australian side that has all these years seen Bangladesh as a vulnerable country and a recipient of her development assistance, said the diplomat having a three-decade long career.
Founded on bipartisan support, the leadership of Australia quickly recognised Bangladesh on January 31 in 1972, the first among the developed nations that influenced recognition from other countries.
READ: Former PM tests positive as omicron cases rise in Australia
The then Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam visited Dhaka in January 1975 and met Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman giving Bangladesh-Australia relations a strong beginning.
“But when we lost our Father of the Nation, I think Bangladesh also lost its path. The momentum in bilateral relations that was created during the visit of Prime Minister Gough Whitlam in 1975, the only Australian Prime Minister who visited Bangladesh in the last five decades, couldn’t be sustained,” said the Bangladesh envoy, recalling the role of these two giant political personalities.
In the subsequent period, High Commissioner Sufiur said, they saw Australian support coming in the reconstruction of Bangladesh and in the field of socio-economic development which he thinks was far below the potential.
The envoy who is also Bangladesh High Commissioner to New Zealand and Fiji said things started changing slightly when Australia decided to extend duty free quota free market access to Bangladesh, two decades back as an LDC.
And in the last 10 years or so, he said, Australia's interest in Bangladesh increased because of Bangladesh's capacity to export in a significant quantum to the Australian market and to absorb Australian exports apart from Bangladesh diaspora’s important role in Australian nation building efforts.
Geopolitics and Post-Covid Era
The High Commissioner said the post-Covid era is going to be an “uncertain time” for everybody in the regional context and also in the global context with the emergence of intense strategic competition.
“And that will also have an impact on how we produce, how we consume and how we trade. These all are going to happen at the same time. So, we would expect to see greater focus on sustainable consumption,” he said, adding that the production processes will change, sourcing from various countries will also change.
How rules flouting and negligence cause frequent launch disasters in Bangladesh
With about 24,00km of waterways Bangladesh boasts of a wide network river routes. Waterways have been the common, traditional and cheaper mode of transportation for the people here.
But frequent maritime accidents and massiveness of some recent ones have led many to wonder over whether the maritime transportation system in the country has evolved with time or it has been totally forsaken by the authorities.
In the last 30 years from 1991 to 2021, some 902 waterway accidents had been reported in the country that claimed 3,735 lives, injured 926 people and left over 500 missing, according to the Department of Shipping.
The amount of loss in these accidents was not estimated but would cross some millions of taka, according to the data available from the department.
In one of the most recent disaster on December 24 last year a pre-dawn blaze broke out around on the Barguna-bound launch Avijan-10 carrying some 800 passengers from Dhaka in mid Sugandha River claiming more than 45 lives. Dozens have still been missing.
The same day, the shipping ministry formed a seven-member probe committee which submitted its report finally on January 4, this year after its deadline expired.
The report revealed that the two engines used in Avijan-10 were 24-year old and had more horsepower than the vessel could capacitate. The faults of the engine were identified as the main cause of the massive fire that night.
Read: Jhalakathi launch fire: Probe body submits report
Train tickets go black market despite online ticketing system
Zakir Hossain, a Dhaka-based doctor, travels to Rajshahi by train at least four times a month. He is doing an MPhil at Rajshahi University.
"I love to travel by train as it is safe, comfortable and affordable too,” said Zakir.
Of late he has some complaints too.
“Buying a ticket online is proving to be a big headache for me,” said Zakir. “It is not as easy as it was before.”
In conversation with this UNB correspondent recently he complained that he has to buy tickets from black market as online tickets are not always available.
Read: Train tickets won’t be transferable: Railways Ministry
"Since I have to travel to the university, I collect tickets from the black market at a slightly higher price,” he said.
“The railway authorities must look into this corrupt practice in the interest of the passengers,” Zakir suggested.
He echoed the feelings of many others who like to travel by train. They have a common complaint: a section of unscrupulous officials and employees are running a syndicate of black marketers in selling train tickets.
Many passengers also complained that though they don’t find tickets at the ticket counters, they can buy it from shops near the stations.
The problem is they have to pay some extra bucks for this.
A good number of tickets are still available in the black market though the whole system of ticketing has gone digital now.
The UNB representative came up with the information after visiting various stations in the country.
After logging in on the scheduled time and not getting tickets online, many people go directly to the railway stations to buy tickets, said businessman Jashim uddin, who travels from Dhaka to Benapole regularly.
He added that there is no end to the suffering. Most fail to book a ticket after standing in long queues for hours.
Some passengers also said that a strong syndicate has also been formed on social media which sells tickets using different online platforms at a high price.
Sagar Islam, a businessman in Akhaura, is one those who is often forced to buy tickets from black market as these are not available either online or in counters.
He travels from Akhuara to Dhaka for business purpose once in a week.
“When I fail to get tickets legally I go to the black market,” said he. “This way I’m forced to pay extra money and break the law as well.”
How does the ticket go to the black market?
Mozammel Haque Chowdhury, secretary general of Jatri Kallayan Samity, blamed the system of keeping some tickets reserved for railway staff.
“This system is used to create artificial scarcity of train tickets,” he said.
Railway authorities refuted the allegation, though.
“The complaint of keeping tickets booked for officials is not correct,” said Shawkat Jamil Mehedi, a divisional commercial officer of Bangladesh Railway.
According to him only two per cent of the tickets are reserved in the name of officials and employees and also for emergency use.
“There is no reason for buying too many tickets in their names,” he said.
Benapole Customs falls short of its revenue target again
Benapole Customs House has fallen short of its targeted revenue by Tk509 crore in the first six months of the current 2021-22 fiscal as the customs house collected about Tk1,991 crore against a target of Tk2,500 crore.
However, Tk101 crore more was collected this time than the first six months of 2019-20 fiscal year. At that time the revenue collection target was Tk 1,889 crore.
In the first six months of this year, 11,53,034 metric tonnes of goods have been imported which was 11,53,034 metric tonnes in the first six months of 2019-20 fiscal year. Besides, 2,76,003 metric tonnes have been exported this time which was 1,76,296 metric tonnes in the first half of 2019-20.
Although imports have declined slightly compared to last year, exports have increased.
According to Benapole Customs sources, the National Board of Revenue (NBR) has set a revenue target of Tk 6,245 crore for imported goods this year. Earlier, in the fiscal year 2020-21, the revenue target at Benapole port was Tk 6,244.62 crore. At the end of last fiscal year, Tk 4,143 crore was collected. Although the growth of revenue during the year was higher than other times, the deficit was Tk 2,057 crore.
Besides, the shortfall was Tk 3,392 crore against the target in 2019-20 fiscal year while it was Tk1,145 crore in 2018-19 and Tk 179.64 crore in 2017-18.
Can the target ever be achieved?
Meanwhile, there are doubts in all sections about achieving the target of such a large amount this year. Experts said it is necessary to develop the infrastructure in customs and ports to expand trade in order to increase revenue, which is a long term prospect. Otherwise, it will never be possible to collect the expected amount of revenue.
The businessmen of India and Bangladesh are more interested in trade through this port due to the ease of communication. However, due to lack of necessary infrastructure, traders cannot import products as per the demand. And so, the revenue is declining continuously.
Sazedur Rahman, general secretary of the Benapole C&F Agent Association, said it will be difficult to collect such a large amount of revenue in the current fiscal year because of the Covid situation. However, the record clearly shows even prior to Covid the port always missed its target.
Solar power: The ultimate cap on costlier crude?
In power generation, reducing overheads is usually very difficult, particularly when the global crude oil prices are on a firm upward trend.
But migration to low-cost solar energy could help the state-run liquid-fuelled power plants in Bangladesh offset the financial stress caused by a costlier crude.
This suggestion has come from key players in the renewable energy industry, who cite the recent rise in diesel prices to pester the government to invest heavily in renewable energy sources.
In fact, the government increased the diesel rates to Tk 80 a litre from Tk 65 per litre in November last year, while the furnace oil prices remained static at Tk 60 per litre.
Also read: Govt exploring rooftop, floating solar power for scarcity of lands: Nasrul
As per the 2020-21 annual report of the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB), a whopping Tk 779.40 crore was spent on diesel to generate electricity from its own liquid-fuelled power plants.
Will the much-awaited Khanjahan Ali Airport in Khulna ever see the light of the day?
The opening of the much-anticipated Padma Multipurpose Bridge in June this year will spur a series of development projects, including Khulna-Mongla railway line and the economic zones in the region.
Hundreds of crores of taka are being invested around these projects. If the projects are implemented, the scenario of the southern region will be changed.
However, the prospect of an early implementation of Khanjahan Ali Airport in Khulna remains bleak.
The people of the district are unlikely to get the benefits of having an airport soon as the work of under-construction Khan Jahan Ali Airport is going on at a very slow pace.
READ: Parliamentary body visits Cox’s Bazar Airport project
Although land has been acquired for the airport several times, no one can say when the main work will start.
In 2015, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) approved the airport project, with an estimated cost of about Tk 544.75 crore.
The construction work of the airport was first planned to be completed by June 2018. But unfortunately, the main work of the airport has not started yet.
Wishing anonymity, an official of the Bangladesh Civil Aviation Authority (CAAB) said the reason behind the delay is uncertainty about the source of finance.
Firstly, it was planned that the airport would be built on the basis of public-private partnership (PPP). As it did not happen, it was later decided to implement the project through the revenue sector. But it is not being implemented for unknown reasons.
When contacted, Tushar Rajbangshi, the supervising engineer of Khanjahan Ali Airport construction project, said, "I am a field engineer, doing whatever work comes to me." Now I am overseeing the work of the boundary wall. "I can't say anything about why the main construction work is yet to begin," he said.
READ: Dhaka airport's 3rd terminal to 'boost' trade
Land acquisition was completed in June 2020. Since then, no significant progress in the project work was made. There is currently no project manager for this site, he added '.
Actually, the need for an airport in Khulna has been under discussion since the sixties. During the Pakistan period in 1961, a site was selected for the construction of an airport at Mashiali in Fultala, 16 km from the main city of Khulna.
In 1968, the decision was reversed and land was acquired at Teligati area of Bill Dakatia. The decision was cancelled again and a land was selected in Katakhali of Fakirahat upazila of Bagerhat district in the eighties.
At last, the then Prime Minister Khaleda Zia laid the foundation stone of Rampal Khanjahan Ali Airport in Bagerhat acquiring 96 acres of land in 1996. Initially, various works including filling of soil for completion of stallport were also completed.
In 2011, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced the construction of the airport as a full-fledged one named ‘Khan Jahan Ali Airport’. Following the announcement, another 536 acres of land was acquired with an estimated cost of about Tk 544 crore. According to the project, it was to be completed by 2018 in a joint venture of domestic and foreign. But in reality, nothing happened except hanging a signboard at the airport site and the border wall.
Khulna city mayor Talukder Abdul Khaleq, a former MP from Rampal-Mongla constituency, said "We hope that Khan Jahan Ali Airport will be an international standard airport." This airport is a priority project of the prime minister.
The government is trying to implement the project in public-private partnership (PPP). Otherwise, it will be built with local funds like Padma Bridge, he added.