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Dengue alert: CU survey team finds Aedes larvae at 15 spots in Chattogram
A survey team of Chittagong University has detected Aedes mosquito larvae at 15 spots of the port city after examining samples collected from 99 localities and suggested spraying mosquito repellant medicines to eradicate Aedes.
Chittagong University Proctor Dr. Rabiul Hasan Bhuiyan, the convener of the research team, disclosed it to UNB on Sunday night, although the official results of the survey which started on July 5 are yet to be released.
Read: Dengue control room to function from tomorrow: DSCC
Dr. Rabiul, however, refused to name the places where the larvae were found before the official submission of the survey report to City Corporation authorities.
“We’ve also examined the effectiveness of different medicines on the Aedes mosquitoes. In our report, we’ll provide an overall strategy on how to make anti-mosquito drives more effective,” he added.
Chattogram City Corporation authorities said they will receive the survey report on Monday (Aug 2) and an all-out mosquito eradication drive will be initiated based on that.
Read Dengue vs. COVID-19: Symptoms, when & where to test, ways of prevention
Unauthorized production of lead acid batteries endanger environment, say experts
An uncontrolled growth of Illegally made lead acid batteries and their recycling across the country is posing a great threat to environment and public health, according to officials and environmentalists.
The unauthorized business continues unabated due to the absence of any comprehensive plan and effective watchdog mechanism, they said.
The Department of Environment (DoE), the environment watchdog, can do little with its only 11 designated officials to deal with over 500 illegal recycling and manufacturing plants, official sources said.
Read: Acid, lead from expired batteries threaten health, environment in Khulna
The DoE, however, promulgated a new gazette notification on Feb. 25 this year replacing its old one of 2006 to check the illegal business through some mandatory provisions, but its inadequate logistics made no major impact on the industry.
Environmentalists found the latest DoE move a feudal practice that fails to yield any expected result because of the lack of coordinated and comprehensive plan in its enforcement mechanism.
Battery industry insiders said currently there are over 500 illegal battery recycling and 35 illegal manufacturing plants in operation across the country.
Read: Info-Sarker-3: Lithium-ion battery use “to harm environment”
These came up in last 15 years as the batteries were in high demand for multiple uses, particularly in battery-run easybikes, solar power, industries and motor vehicles.
According to the environmentalists a good number of the unauthorized plants were set up by some Chinese nationals who came to the country on travel visa and got involved in the business in connivance with their local partners.
A big number of these plants were set up in Gazipur, Savar and Demra area while others are in other parts of the country.
Read Demand raised for formation of environment clubs
On the other hand, as per statistics of Accumulators Battery Manufacturers & Exporters Association of Bangladesh (ABMEAB), there are 24 legally-set up battery manufacturing industries of which five have recycling processing facilities meeting the government’s compliances.
Sharif Jamil, General Secretary of Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (BAPA), a platform of environmentalists, observed that frequent disposal of lead acid battery at open places by battery sellers and illegal recyclers leads to a serious air pollution posing a great risk to human body.
Experts said lead acid batteries are made up of plates of lead and separate plates of lead dioxide, which are submerged into an electrolyte solution of about 38% sulphuric acid and 62% water.
Read: Lead Exposure: Bangladesh 4th worst-hit in terms of child deaths
If the batteries are melted in open places without following modern disposal and recycling system, they said, it interferes with a variety of body processes and is toxic to many organs and tissues including heart, bones, intestines, kidneys, and reproductive and nervous systems.
They also said lead interfered with the development of the nervous system and was, therefore, particularly toxic to children, causing potentially permanent learning and behaviour disorders.
Symptoms include abdominal pain, confusion, headache, anaemia, irritability, and in severe cases, seizures, coma and death. Routes of exposure to lead include contaminated air, water, soil, food, and consumer products.
The environmentalists said the recent introduction of solar home system and electric vehicles had given a big boost to the use of lead acid batteries, which prompted a number of local and foreign national firms to come into the battery manufacturing business.
Read Experts seek gender-responsive environment for volunteer engagement
Recent closure of about 3000 battery manufacturing plants in China also played a big role in setting up business by Chinese nationals, said a top official at the DoE.
According to battery industry insiders more than 5 million units of batteries are used annually by different sectors in Bangladesh with its 10% growth rate.
Director General of DoE Md Ashraf Uddin admitted the existence of illegal battery recycling and manufacturing business and said his department launches drives frequently against their operators through mobile court across country and file cases on regular basis.
“But on many occasions, the actual owners of these illegal business remain untraceable as they are not found on the spot during our operations”, he told UNB.
Read Environment Minister to highlight Bangladesh priorities at 'COP26 July Ministerial'
He also claimed that the recently promulgated new regulations will play a major role in checking the illegal business as it made mandatory for business operators to meet some compliances to run their business—either in the sales, disposal, recycling or manufacturing.
He, however, expressed his limitations in enforcement of the new law because of lack of adequatelogistics as the DoE has only 11 officials to deal with the matter across the country.
The BAPA general secretary said the DoE’s move will not be able to improve the situation unless there is any comprehensive plan with necessary logistics with strong commitment.
“First of all, the government needs to change its current mind set to deal with the matter”, said Sharif Jamil.
Read Climate action: BYLC holds World Environment Day Creative Competition
About the illegal recycling and manufacturing, an official of ABMEAB said some Chinese nationals come to the country and collect a primary permission from Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) and start business without any compliance.
He said the issue was discussed in a tripartite meeting of BIDA, DoE and battery manufacturers, but no positive response came from the BIDA to check this illegal business.
ABMEAB President Munawar Misbah Moin said illegal battery operators not only harm environment and public health, but it also hurt the tax-paying legal plant operators.
Read Environmental Sustainability: Dekko ISHO joins hands with Eco Via
The emerging new normal in the entertainment industry
The festivity of Eid, whether at the end of a month of fasting or with the qurbani (sacrificial offering) of cattle, has traditionally been the most important period of the year for the country's cinema, and general entertainment industry. Each year, the two chunks of holidays were always observed with a number of new movies in the theatre halls and a lot of television dramas for the viewers at home.
Even in the entertainment industry's worst years, or as the number of cinema halls up and down the country kept shrinking, this remained a fixture, with the year's most anticipated movie premieres booked around the Eid holidays and the Bengali New Year.
Read:“Ghotona Shotto” infuriates audiences for insensitive portrayal of children with special needs
The exception occurred finally in 2020, in the shadow of the Covid-19 pandemic, and now it has carried over and taken away 2021 as well. Another Eid just passed with no new films in the theatre but a significant number of drama productions.
Due to the ongoing global pandemic of Covid-19, two of these biggest yearly festivals were not celebrated with brand new movies in the theatres. However, thanks to the moneymaking platforms like YouTube and OTT platforms as well as the classic medium of entertainment, television - the drama industry saw a massive amount of new productions for Eid-ul-Adha.A large number of new films namely the much-awaited “Mission Extreme”, “Operation Sundarban”, “Bidrohee” and more were scheduled to be released this Eid, which could not be possible because of the current hazardous situation in the country.
Read:Bongo introduces seven original telefilm adaptations Based on books this EidMeanwhile, small screens including television, YouTube and OTT’s took the charge of mass-entertaining people on the festive holidays, which have also been elongated amid the nationwide shutdown and let people watch the contents more comfortably on their cellphones, laptops and smart televisions.According to the producers and various production companies, more than 300 drama productions have entertained the audiences this Eid, uploaded on YouTube after being aired on television. The TV channels aired these dramas on their usual 5 to 7 days special programme schedules, starting from Eid day.
Read Greatest Business Movies for Entrepreneurs: Inspiration to Start Something New
Based on the ‘Trending’ section of YouTube which showcases the interest of the viewers at the platform in specific regions, a handful of recently made and aired drama productions are dominating the top-list among other contents; although ‘Trending’ sometimes changes in a few hours, sometimes for one-two or three, even weeks. Over the last couple of years, a trend has been ongoing to air hundreds of drama productions on Eid occasions. For a considerably long period, Eid dramas were mostly comedy-based productions with monotonous themes and recurring storylines, however, due to the increasing competition on the above-mentioned platforms, makers are now becoming more aware of what kind of drama the audience is interested in and that has been vividly reflected on the trending dramas of this Eid.
Read Best Olympic Movies of All Time: The Greatest Films Enlightening the Kingdom of Olympians
BSMMC ICU in Faridpur suffer from shortage of doctors
Authorities of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical College (BSMMC) hospital in Faridpur have been struggling with the increasing number of patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
The number of doctors assigned for the unit is far from enough and no new recruitment has been made since the ICU was established in 2016, hospital authorities said.
Visiting the hospital, the UNB correspondent found all the first-class posts for the 16-bed advanced ICU to be vacant.
Also read: ICU at Faridpur BSMMCH hamstrung by lack of staff, equipment
The ICU unit should have had one assistant professor, two junior consultants, two assistant registrars and two medical officers as per the rules but only Ananta Kumar Biswas, Assistant Professor of Anesthesia department, was made in-charge of the ICU as an additional responsibility.
Mushfiqur misses out for BCB pandering to Australia
Right after arriving in Bangladesh, the Australian cricket team went into a three-day quarantine in a hotel in the capital from Thursday. This is dictated by Bangladesh government's Covid-19 protocol, and the Bangladesh cricket team, which arrived back from Zimbabwe the same day, is also now going through the mandatory quarantine of three days.
That should be straightforward enough, but what is proving a far bigger ask is maintaining the strict bio-secure bubble, or biobubble, according to Australia's requirements, and Mushfiqur's exclusion from it.
The experienced wicketkeeper-batsman sought to enter the bubble on July 22, two days after it came into effect.
As per the agreement between the two cricket boards, both the squads have to maintain a ten-day bio-secured bubble ahead of the series. Since both Bangladesh and Australia were touring Zimbabwe and West Indies respectively, it was not possible for them to maintain a ten-day quarantine period in Dhaka ahead of the five-match T20I series-opening game on August 3.
So both the boards came to an agreement to include their respective bio-bubbles in Zimbabwe and the West Indies as part of the pre-series ten-day quarantine in Dhaka which is mandatory.
“It’s really unfortunate for Mushfiqur. He had to come back from Zimbabwe as both of his parents were sick, and while staying with them, he missed the quarantine deadline. He was so eager to take part in this series. In that sense, it’s very unfortunate and unfair for him,” Faruque Ahmed, former Bangladesh captain and former chief of the national selector panel, told UNB.
Read: BAN vs. AUS 2021: How Bangladesh Team Shapes Up Without Tamim, Mushfiqur?
“We know that before a series, all the involving boards came to an agreement. I’m sure it took place ahead of this series as well. Since we have been living in a pandemic for more than one and a half years, Australia came up with some conditions to ensure their safety, and BCB agreed to that as Australia are visiting Bangladesh after a long time,” he added.
Mushfiqur had earlier decided to skip the T20Is against Zimbabwe to be fit and available for the Australia series. However, he had to come back from Zimbabwe early for his parents’ sickness.
Bangladesh team members also believe that it was unfair that Mushfiqur was not allowed to enter the bio-secure bubble. Some of them pointed to the absurdity of not allowing Mushfiqur to enter the bubble following appropriate testing, when the entire team had gone through four airports - Harare, Johannesburg, Delhi and Dhaka - on their return trip from Zimbabwe, and that didn't violate the bubble apparently.
“We came in a commercial flight passing through three airports so I don't know if it makes much sense to keep Mushfiqur out of the series. He went back home from the middle of a tour for a family problem. So to not allow him to enter the quarantine after just two or three days, is not right,” a Bangladesh team member was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
Read: Mushfiqur to miss T20 series against Australia over isolation norms
Bangladesh are going to miss the services of Tamim Iqbal and Liton Das as well. Mustafizur Rahman is also doubtful for the first couple of matches as the pacer has been suffering from an ankle injury sustained during a tour match in Zimbabwe. There are worries over Shakib Al Hasan’s fitness as well.
Indeed to fulfil Australia’s demand, Bangladesh had to manage quarantine for match officials, ground staff, and technicians who operate DRS. Bangladesh also managed a direct path for the Australian team to get to their team hotel from the airport tarmac, bypassing immigration.
The five-match series will be packed into a week, with the first match on Monday, August 3. Then again on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and the final fixture on Sunday, August 9. All the matches will be hosted at the single venue— Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
Covid-19: What life is like when hospitals refuse admission!
Even if you have the money, there is no guarantee that you will be able to get admitted to a hospital for Covid-19 treatment right away as hospitals are overwhelmed and extremely unequipped, says Rafiqul Islam, a resident of Dakkhin Surma upazila of Sylhet.
“My father tested positive five days back and is struggling for breath. He needs an ICU bed but all beds are occupied everywhere. We had been to Osmani Medical College Hospital and then to two private hospitals but there was no ICU bed to get him admitted," Rafiqul, a working man in his late 40s, told the UNB correspondent in front of North East Medical College Hospital.
“Even the wait at every hospital and every desk was frustrating. We were frequently advised to have patience as they were having a very difficult time. Our medical system has collapsed!” says Rafique.
There is nothing unique in Rafiqul Islam’s case. It is now a common scenario in Sylhet as the number of cases has skyrocketed here in recent weeks as elsewhere in the country.
Relatives of Covid-infected patients are running from one hospital to another to have an ICU bed for them.
READ: Sylhet division reports highest single-day Covid cases of 802
Every day the relatives are having the names of patients listed with the hospitals here in an effort to get an ICU bed once it becomes available.
Wooden bridge over River Chawai, the only resort for 10,000 people, breaks down
Heavy monsoon rainfall brought relief from the searing summer heat across the country, but immense sufferings for the 10,000 people of Satmera and Amarkhana unions in Panchagarh Sadar Upazila.
The wooden bridge over River Chawai, the only means of connection between these two unions during the season, broke down several weeks ago amid a heavy downpour. Now people of the eight adjacent villages have to walk an extra 10 kilometres to run their daily errands.
According to locals, amid heavy rains hyacinths and other waste stuck in the iron poles of the bridge caused a blockade and due to strong current of the river the bridge tilted to one side.
Locals and thousands of students from Khoi Para, Danga Para, Fakir Para, Sarkar Para, Pakhilaga and other villages are now somehow crossing the river over the risky tilted bridge as it was their only resort.
“The bridge was our only means of going to schools and colleges. A proper bridge over the river can save our education,” said Sabina Akter, a student from Pakhilaga village.
“Everyday taking 10 kilometres extra for carrying goods is not an easy job. We only got assurances of having it fixed whenever we contacted the local MP’s and LGED engineers in this regard,” said Basirul Alam, from Danga Para village in Satmera union.
Also read: A bridge that serves no purpose
Govt fails to take power from Payra plant, counts huge losses in capacity payment
The government is counting a monthly loss of Tk 130 crore due to delay in laying a high-priority transmission line that would take electricity from the Payra power plant to Dhaka across the River Padma.
According to official sources, the amount is being paid as “capacity payment” to 1320 MW Payra power plant, a Bangladesh-China joint venture project, which is now ready to supply electricity to the national grid for distribution in Dhaka adjoining areas.
In this case the capacity payment means the government’s commitment to purchase power generated at the plant at an agreed-upon rate. The government still has to pay the plant for its generation (capacity) even if it is unable to buy the electricity from it.
The government is not ready to purchase electricity from the plant as it has failed to complete work on the 164.6 km 400 kV double-circuit transmission line that would supply power from Mongla to Dhaka’s Aminbazar via Maowa connected by the national grid.
The project has hit some hurdles in crossing the mighty river, where a multipurpose bridge is being built to connect Dhaka with the country’s south-western region.
The official document of Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB), the implementing agency, shows the project was scheduled to be implemented by December 2020. After repeated extensions, the schedule has now been set for December 2021.
Also read: Finally, Payra power plant ready to operate at full blast
Officials, however, apprehend the project might not be completed even by the latest deadline due to a major constraint in the work on crossing Padma River.
Nasrul Hamid, state minister for power, energy and mineral resources, acknowledged the loss government is incurring and the hurdles the project is facing.
“We are trying to resolve the issue,” he told UNB adding “We have nothing else to do but to wait.”
Power Division officials blamed the excessive delay on Padma Bridge construction authority which was tasked to lay foundations for the construction of towers within the river area.
Read Also: Payra power plant starts commercial operation of its first unit
Bangladesh against any idea leading to Rohingya integration: FM
The government has taken a very strong stance against the idea floated by the World Bank that apparently suggests the integration of Rohingyas into Bangladesh as Bangladesh’s priority remains repatriation of Rohingyas to their homeland.
“We took a very strong stance. We didn’t like it and we opposed it strongly. We conveyed it,” Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen told UNB.
The World Bank came up with a programme as part of its Refugee Policy Review Framework globally for refugee host countries through the Economic Relations Division (ERD).
“Rohingyas are not refugees here. They’re taking shelter temporarily,” Dr Momen said, adding that Bangladesh wants the repatriation of Rohingyas to their place of origin in Myanmar.
Asked about the WB’s proposed programme, the Foreign Minister said the WB is saying effective steps to be taken to identify, prevent and mitigate social tensions and risk of violence among the displaced people and host communities, building good relations among themselves, and to employ them in local works.
Read: Poor host communities fume as Rohingyas start grabbing local labour market
He said they (WB) are saying Rohingyas should have the right to work and free mobility; and birth, marriage, divorce and death certificates should be issued for the Rohingyas like Bangladesh citizens. “Naturally, we don’t accept those ideas. They (WB) are willing to give money for these if we do integrate them.”
As per the WB ideas shared with the ERD, the Rohingyas should have access to local labour market, including business opportunities, the same way Bangladesh nationals have with the same payment facilities.
Muted response to e-commerce SOP reflects recent troubles in the industry
The Commerce Ministry has recently completed its task of formulating a set of Standard Operating Procedures for the e-commerce industry.
Yet the muted response to the SOPs reflect the significantly deeper concerns surrounding the industry, that have come to light recently in the form of troubling revelations about some of its biggest players, most notably Evaly, that have come straight from investigations carried out by an authority as important as Bangladesh Bank.
Given the seriousness of some of these concerns and allegations, a set of guidelines rooted in global best practices, that would essentially allow the rapidly growing industry to regulate itself.
Firms would be responsible for implementing the SOPs within their own organisations, while a failure to do so would not carry the threat of incurring a legal penalty. None of the SOPs in that sense would be legally binding.
Also read: Potential of e-commerce hemmed in by bottlenecks
Although this kind of light-touch approach can be entertained in a situation where the assumption is that one is dealing with good faith-actors, the recent revelations regarding Evaly, that include possible money laundering, have effectively blown the credibility of such a working assumption out of the water.
It suggests the more prudent route forward for harnessing the sector's potential may well be regulatory oversight by a competent authority.