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Bangladesh performing well in fulfilling SDGs, but many challenges ahead
Although Bangladesh is on track and performing well in achieving many of the UN-adopted Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in time, it still faces the challenges of low external resources and lack of global partnership apart from lower revenue-GDP ratio.
Achieving SDGs will critically depend on the availability of resources including external resources and global partnership, according to an official document collected by UNB.
The United Nations adopted the SDGs in 2015 with a global call of action on 17 integrated goals with a pledge to end poverty, protect the earth’s environment and climate and ensure peace and prosperity for people everywhere by 2030.
Read: Hasina receives SDGs Progress Award
Bangladesh’s performance has so far been commendable in various fields, including poverty reduction, gender equality, child and maternal mortality, nutrition, sanitation, electricity, annual GDP growth and disaster management.
But it has to overcome a number of the hurdles to further improve its performance, the document observes.
“Government revenue as a proportion of GDP needs to be substantially increased through undertaking measures for increasing the number of taxpayers and improving tax collection and management mechanism,” it says.
The document calls for a substantial increase in inflow of FDI and remittance for achieving of the the goals.
Read KOICA to help generate statistics to indicate progress on SDGs
According to official data, the tax to GDP ratio of the country has been 9.9 per cent on an average since 2015-2019, while it is 19.8 per cent for India, 23.9 per cent for Nepal, 14.7 per cent for Pakistan, 13.5 per cent for Sri Lanka.
The ratio is 25.6 per cent for developing countries and 35.9 per cent for developed countries, according to the data.
Read UNDP launches Accelerator Lab in Bangladesh to support SDGs
The tax-to-GDP ratio is a ratio of a nation's tax revenue relative to its gross domestic product, the value of goods and services produced in a country during a certain period. The ratio is also a marker of how well the government controls a country's economic resources.
The document says that Bangladesh has undertaken a comprehensive strategy and actions to effectively internalise Sustainable Development Goals. The 7th Five Year Plan incorporated 82 per cent of sustainable development targets. As a result, the country is well on track in achieving SDGs.
Out of 17 SDGs, Bangladesh has made considerable progress in reducing poverty. In 2019, the proportion of population living below the international poverty line (absolute poverty measured by USD 1.90 per day) was 10.5 per cent.
Read: Hasina seeks SDGs roadmap for countries falling behind
Dhaka-Cox's Bazar train service still a distant reality as project limps along
The Dhaka-Cox's Bazar railway service is still some way off seeing the light of day, with the project to build the railway line for it already way behind schedule and authorities having no choice but to grant the extension.
Although originally scheduled to be completed by December 2022, the project has now been rescheduled with a new date of completion: June 2024.
Earlier this year, Railway Minister Mohammad Nurul Islam Sujan seemingly paid only lip service to the project, when he said that work on the railway line to Cox's Bazar would be completed by December 2022, after which direct trains from capital Dhaka to Cox's Bazar would be launched.
Read:Much-loved train journeys to Cox’s Bazar likely in 2 years
Reflecting on the reasons behind work on the project falling so far behind schedule, Project Director (PD) Mofizur Rahman told UNB that they couldn’t run a full-fledged work schedule due to the Covid-19 situation.
Also, the railway line’s equipment and materials did not arrive on time, so the tracks could not be built. Asked when the Dhaka-Cox's Bazar train service can be launched, the PD said, “Even if the work is completed in June 2023, it will take another year to start."
Once the physical work is completed, they must take time for various other things including trial runs. “That is why we hope that it can be launched by June 2024,” said PD Mofizur.
Read Govt to prepare master plan for roads, highways
Train line fittings, stones and other goods were imported from different countries including India and China. But during the pandemic they faced various difficulties in bringing the materials where they needed to, causing delays. “But the project cost will not increase,” Mofizur assured.
Project challenges
According to the Ministry of Railways, the physical work of the project has been hampered as the necessary relocation of overhead transmission towers of PGCB, BPDB and REB from Dohazari to Cox's Bazar still remains to be completed.
Besides, as part of the extended public holidays announced by the government to disrupt the chains of transmission of Covid-19, the physical work of the project was halted for a significant period from March, 2020. When the Covid situation worsened again earlier this year, again they faced difficulties over importing project materials.
Read: Rail operation on Padma Bridge may start from Dec 2022: Minister
Project objectives
If this project is implemented, a safe, comfortable and affordable communication system will be developed for tourists and local people. There will also be significant cargo movement on the line. Fish, salt, paper raw materials, forest and agricultural products can all be easily transported at a convenient cost.
There will be nine stations along the 128-km rail route, located at Satkania, Lohagara, Chakaria, Dulahazara, Eidgaon, Ramu, Cox's Bazar Sadar, Ukhia and Ghumdhum. It will feature modern computer-based interlock signals and digital telecommunication system.
Chapainawabganj’s young date farmer defeats negativity
Obaidul Islam Rubel, in his mid-30s, did not achieve his success in Saudi date farming overnight. He had to work hard towards his lofty dream as he was discouraged by all – neighbours, relatives and friends.
"Everybody, except my father, discouraged me saying Saudi dates are unlikely to be produced in Bangladesh’s soil, and that hurt me badly,” said Rubel, a resident of Bherendi village in Nachole upazila Chapainawabganj district.
Read Alt. Farming: How women in Kurigram augment their households' income
Firm to chase his dream, the young man defeated the negativity by successfully growing Saudi dates in Bangladesh soil. Rubel’s amazing success not only changed his fortune but also made him popular in his home district.
Rubel said he had been helping his poor father cultivate crops since he completed his Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination in 2007 as he had no job.
One fine morning, Rubel said, he decided to try his luck by cultivating the dates which are actually grown in the Middle East.
Read Duck farming transforms fates for Kurigram’s unemployed youth
Rubel started searching articles and videos on date farming in the Internet, particularly the Saudi ones, and shared his idea with his father. His father promised to help him in every way.
Later, he started collecting date seeds from his relatives living in Saudi Arabia. In 2017, Rubel brought 1.5 bighas of land under date palm cultivation with 830 saplings.
“Eighteen months after the plantation, date flowers started blooming and I felt like winning a war,” Rubel recalled.
Read Bumper beans harvest and good price bring delight to Magura farmers
How Dhaka became a city of restaurants
The burgeoning population of Dhaka city, especially the youth and young families, has been growing increasingly dependent on restaurants or eateries for their recreation and entertainment for quite a while now. Over the past two years of the pandemic, this would seem to have become even more pronounced.
As the lockdowns in 2020 and 2021 have forced people to stay at home and rely more on home delivery services and takeouts from the eateries in the capital, residents in Dhaka rushed to the eateries to have some quality time with family and friends within the familiar, cozy ambiences of city restaurants, once or whenever the lockdowns were minimized or lifted intermittently.
Read: Top Christmas Dining Spots in Dhaka
The GoB eased the latest lockdown on August 11, and since then, the restaurants were immediately geared up to welcome the food-lovers back, with open arms and exciting offerings.
This decision certainly inspired a large number of people, especially the urban youth and middle to upper-middle-class families, to enjoy their meals and catch-ups/meet-ups in the restaurants.
In order to attract customers, many restaurants have been inviting customers over social media platforms, especially through the food blogging groups on Facebook, noted food reviewers, and their YouTube channels, with delicious offerings consisting of scrumptious food items within lucrative price brackets.
Read Bangladesh Cloud Kitchen Business Heralds Improved Food Delivery Services
"We, the urban youths, don't really have a large number of options in Dhaka where we can see our friends and dear ones, except for the restaurants and coffee-places. These are the places where we can talk and giggle together alongside having delicious foods, and this is something that we really missed during these lockdown periods," Shayer Ahmed, a 26-year-old copywriter who is currently working for an advertising agency, told UNB.
School Reopening: Instead of their playground, they came back to a paddy field
Returning after 18 months, the students of Ramnagar Paschimpara Primary School in Mirpur upazila of Kushtia district have been deprived of utilising their beloved school playground for any recreation, as the authorities concerned turned the playground into a paddy field during the pandemic-induced closure of schools. After the reopening on September 12, students all over the country returned to their classrooms with much enthusiasm after a long closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic. But the students of Ramnagar Paschimpara Primary joined classes with a heavy sigh as they returned to see what had been their playground, had now turned into a paddy field.
This was not a case of neglect - a deliberate decision was taken to cultivate paddy on the children's playground, and implemented.
Read: School Closure: 50,000 students may have dropped out in Kurigram The paddy cultivated belongs to Ruhul Azam Keru, president of the school managing committee, who took advantage of the school closure. The students and guardians demanded justice and immediate steps in this regard. According to the school sources, the school stands on government-owned land, and the process is on to place it under government control. The officials of Upazila Primary Education Office also visited the school.
Read High school students to be vaccinated soon: DSHE chief
Talking to the reporters, the students of the school claimed that they used to have joyous times in the school playground by playing soccer and other games, but since returning they have had none of that.
20-year masterplan to revive Dhaka's rivers in the works
A 20-year masterplan will be adopted by the government to return life to the rivers surrounding capital Dhaka - by preventing their pollution, ridding them of illegal occupation and long-term beautification.Work is already underway to remove illegal establishments along the rivers and building walkways and through afforestation.Besides, the government plans to generate electricity from river waste and to take steps in closing the sources of river pollution, said sources within the Ministry of Shipping.
Read: 60 illegal establishments evicted from Kirtankhola river banksThe masterplan which also aims to increase the navigability of rivers alongside preventing river pollution and encroachment, is currently in the final stages of being drafted.The masterplan has been prepared by reviewing the current situation of the tributaries, rivers and canals of Dhaka and the surrounding districts.According to the draft plan, the status quo will be developed in four steps, through a 1-year crash program, a short term plan of three years, a middle term plan of 5 years and a long term plan of 10 years.
Read Experts seek master plan for sustainable river dredging
According to Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority, around 113 acres of illegally occupied land belonging to rivers has already been regained as part of the process.In the first phase, 10,000 boundary pillars, 52-km walkways, 3 eco parks and 19 jetties will be constructed on the banks of the rivers freed by the eviction drive.The project will cost Tk 800 in crore in the initial stage as per the draft, added the sources.
Read Government urged to prepare integrated power-energy master plan
Emphasis has been given to build eco-parks on the banks of the Buriganga and Turag to attract tourists.
DU mulling over ways to implement its dope test
The Dhaka University authorities recently decided to conduct dope tests on freshers in a bid to keep the campus free of drugs. But the authorities are still not sure how the decision will be implemented.
A section of students welcomed the decision saying it will help to reduce the number of drug addicts in the campus while some said the decision goes against ‘personal freedom’, fearing that authorities could use the system to harass and oppress students.
The decision was taken in principle at a syndicate meeting chaired by Vice Chancellor Dr Md Akhtaruzzaman on September 1, confirmed Dr ASM Maksud Kamal, pro-vice chancellor (education).
“Now, the committee will formulate policies on the process, facilities, and its implementation,” Prof Maksud told UNB.
A seven-member committee was formed to formulate a policy for conducting dope tests with Dhaka Medical College Principal Dr Titu Miah as its convener.
Dr Titu Miah, convenor of the newly formed committee, told UNB that under the system, dope tests would be conducted in the university during the recruitment of teachers and admission of new students every year.
READ: Students protest cutting down of old Krishnachura tree at DU, plant new one
“Additionally, students can be tested once a year in phases. However, the decision must be taken according to the capability of the university, which is absent now. This will require equipment and manpower. We are working on whether the dope tests will be done at the university or any other institution, and how the decision can be implemented,” he added.
“Primarily we talked with Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Hospital and they agreed to collaborate with us but further decision will be taken after approval of the university authorities,” Dr Titu Miah also said.
“Freshers or teachers have to pay their own fee for the dope test, with which they have to collect dope test certificate before completing enrollment. Dope test would be mandatory for all types of recruitment in the university,” he further explained.
Asked about what decision would be taken for those who test positive in the dope test, Dr Titu Miah said, “It is not final yet. University authority will take decisions in this regard. Maybe they have to take pre admission and post admission counselling from the university.”
Dr Mohammad Humayun Kabir, professor of the Department of Islamic History and Culture and a Syndicate member, said that the Deans’ Committee had recommended that the dope test be carried out on freshers.
“However, I think Bangladeshi facilities do not have such capacity to carry out dope tests on 7,000 freshers and provide results within two months,” he remarked.
A special report from an August 25 Deans’ Committee meeting was submitted to the Syndicate in which the committee made a few recommendations about dope tests of students, Humayun Kabir revealed.
The recommendations of the Deans’ Committee include developing DU’s own system for dope testing, and signing MoU with those who have the ability to carry out dope testing. Accordingly it also proposed that a committee be formed for these purposes.
It was learnt that the fifth meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Law and Order last February 17, chaired by Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque, had decided to make dope testing compulsory during the admission of students in all universities and educational institutions.
‘We are all against drugs’
A section of university teachers and students welcomed the decision saying it will help to check drug addiction in the campus while some havr opposed fearing that authorities could use the system to harass and oppress freshers.
READ: DU likely to reopen halls on limited scale from October 5
Professor Lutfur Rahman, convener of the BNP-backed White Panel teachers of Dhaka University, said that the dope test is ‘unnecessary’. “I don’t think the decision of the dope test is logical. It doesn’t match with university’s overall situation,” he added.
Dhaka University Teachers’ Association president Nizamul Hoque Bhuiyan said, “I welcomed the decision. Everyone will be careful if the university authority will implement its decision properly.”
However, AL-backed DU teachers’ association ‘Blue Panel’ president Abdus Samad declined to comment on this matter.
Among students, Chhatra League Dhaka University unit general secretary Saddam Hossain said, “Inclusive social awareness needed to combat drug addiction. University should not take such a decision which will hamper students’ freedom and social dignity.”
Dhaka University Chhatra Dal convener Rakibul Islam said, “Thousands of university students are prone to drug addiction. This grim scenario can be replaced by implementing such a strict preventive way. Students are motivated to take drugs by their circumstance, He claimed.
Salman Siddique, president of the Socialist Student Front's DU unit, told UNB, “We are all against drugs but how the university plans to combat drugs is not scientific and democratic. Dope testing will not be fruitful. But the authorities can use the dope testing method to harass students, teachers.|
Contacted, VC Prof Md Akhtaruzzam said, "We are trying to uproot drugs from our society. It's not possible to keep everybody in check without an institutional initiative."
Drug addiction has grown into a serious concern for Dhaka University students. The university campus and its adjacent areas have turned into safe havens for drug addicts and dealers amid closure of the country’s premier educational institution due to the coronavirus pandemic.
On May 15, a Dhaka University student, Hafizur, 24, died as he hacked himself with a machete after taking LSD in the Curzon Hall area. He killed himself under the influence of the drug.
Besides, taking drugs is rampant in residential halls of the university. The addicts take drugs in groups on the rooftops and in the rooms of the dormitories when the campus is open.
Rakibul,a residential student of Sergeant Zahurul Haq Hall, said, "When the university was open, liquor or marijuana was taken in groups on the roof of our residential building at night. Student leaders from different halls took part in such activities."
However it is implemented, the dope test system will help to ease the existing grim scenario, he hoped.
Titas moves to overhaul ageing accident-prone pipelines in Dhaka city
Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company is going to take up a massive project to overhaul its age-old gas pipelines in Dhaka metropolitan city to make the flow more smooth and minimize risks of accidents.
Official sources said the plan for changing the ageing pipelines came to be regarded as the core needs amid a series of recent explosions and fire accidents blamed on faulty and leaking lines.
When a huge explosion killed at least six people and injured several others in Moghbazar in last June, fire service officials suspected leakage in Titas gas line as the cause.
Also read: N;ganj mosque blasts: 8 suspended officials of Titas Gas held
Leakage in Titas pipeline at a mosque in Fatullah led to the explosions in six air conditioners leaving at least 27 people killed and over a dozen injured during Friday prayers in 2020, in one of country’s worst gas explosions.
These tragic incidents apart, the issue of the leakage in pipelines also came to the attention of the authorities when Titas Gas started installing pre-paid meters in parts of the city.
School reopening in Bangladesh: Children at greater risk in Delta-hit areas
As millions of children returned to classrooms amid the growing concern of the possible third wave of Covid-19, experts fear that any laxity in maintaining health protocols and guardian’s lack of awareness can put the kids at risk of infections.
They said children in the areas where the virus infection rate is still over 15 percent are highly vulnerable to the deadly virus.
The experts ring the alarm bell as the extremely transmissible Delta variant has been taking its toll on children in different countries, including the USA, where children went back to schools in person.
Read: School Closure: 50,000 students may have dropped out in Kurigram
They said though the performances of most of the school authorities still look good when it comes to maintaining health safety rules, the guardians seem unaware of the looming danger of pandemic since they are seen crowding outside of different schools, even many of them without masks, risking their own health and that of their children.
The analysts said the authorities have to ensure that health guidelines are consistently followed without any laxity.
Besides, they said, the school authorities should motivate the guardians to maintain social distancing and health safety rules when they gather outside of the gates.
Read Fresh Covid surge may lead to school closure again: Dipu Moni
Kaptai Lake’s beauty and navigability clogged by water hyacinth
A journey by boat on the country’s largest Kaptai Lake is no longer a fun.
Boats carrying tourists on a joy ride get stuck up in the middle of the lake, surrounded by hills. Locals commuting by boats complain of wasting productive hours as the journey gets terribly slow.
For all their sufferings they blame an unusual culprit: water hyacinths.
The ambience of the man-made lake is under threat as it has been covered with the prolific weeds.
Read Landslide warning: People urged to evacuate foothills in Rangamati
The unabated growth of the invasive aquatic plants is not only hampering operation of water transports (such as launches, speed boats and engine boats) but also threatening fish and marine resources and polluting its water.
According to experts and locals the water of Kaptai Lake has been severely polluted with water hyacinths. Local residents are getting infected with various diseases by using the water of the lake, they said.
Visiting the area this week UNB correspondent found a large swathe of the beautiful lake clogged by water hyacinths.