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Renewable energy: 40% target ‘ambitious, but roadmap absent’
Bangladesh has set a goal of generating 40 per cent of electricity from renewable sources in the next 20 years, but a roadmap on how to reach that lofty target is absent.
The government has adopted a mega plan on power: to boost electricity production to 60,000 MW by 2041 with renewable energy’s share rising to 24,000 MW, which now stands at 700 MW.
Energy experts and stakeholders in the green energy sector believe a comprehensive and inclusive roadmap is necessary to reach the target of 24,000 MW of electricity from renewable sources in the next 20 years.
Read Bangladesh’s single largest rooftop solar power plant inaugurated in Korean EPZ
State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid unveiled the government’s latest vision on renewable energy during a Bangladesh-UK Climate Partnership Roundtable on June 2 in the city.
President of COP26 Alok Sharma, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen, and Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Shahabuddin Uddin were present at the function.
Earlier, Bangladesh had set a plan to generate 10 per cent of electricity from renewable sources by 2020. But it could raise it nearly 3 per cent only.
Also read: Renewable energy could be Bangladesh’s best option post Covid-19
Data available from the Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (Sreda) shows the country now generates 730 MW from renewable sources, including solar, wind and hydro.
About the new target, Nasrul said he is confident of achieving the goal as the government is determined to do this as part of its commitment to the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) where Bangladesh is the chair.
“We’ve already awarded a good number of contracts in public and private sectors for renewable energy plants which will cover 15 per cent while the country is trying to import hydro electricity from Nepal and Bhutan,” he said.
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“A deal is ready to be signed with Nepal for importing 700 MW hydro power from Nepal while negotiations are on with Bhutan to import hydro power from the Himalayan nation,” he claimed, adding that if such moves become successful it would hugely boost the country’s renewable energy generation.
Nasrul thinks the technologies on green energy are changing so fast that no long-term plan should be followed.
“Instead, the country should work out a short-term plan for two or five years as a dynamic one to adopt new technologies,” he told UNB.
Read Solar power plant in Manikganj starts commercial operation
Nasrul said the new target will be aligned with the next Power System Master Plan (PSMP).
Bangladesh may see dreadful Covid peak ahead of Eid, experts warn
Amid the rise in Covid cases triggered by local transmission of the Delta variant, experts predict that Bangladesh may see the peak of the current wave of the deadly virus in the third week of July next.
Using a mathematical model, Bangladesh Como Modelling Group, a panel of local and international health experts, also said the number of daily cases is likely to cross 10,000-mark in mid-July, putting a serious pressure on the country’s healthcare system.
They, however, said the severity of the virus infection and fatality rates during the probable peak on the eve of Eid-ul-Azha will depend on the effectiveness of preventive measures, management of cattle markets and control on public movement.
The experts appreciated the government’s move to isolate Dhaka from other parts of the country by suspending road, rail and waterway communications, saying that it may help slow down the virus transmission.
Prevailing situation
Bangladesh reported 20.27% positivity rate and 1.59% fatality rate on Wednesday, the highest since April 21.
DGHS spokesperson Dr Robed Amin said the Covid-19 situation has worsened in the country as the virus has been spreading fast in bordering and other areas of the country. “The number of cases and deaths are gradually rising."
He said they fear that a terrible situation lies ahead if people do not strictly maintain the health safety rules.
Robed said the virus transmission has been showing a gradual upward trend from June 16 and the death rate is now very high.
He said over 70,000 people were diagnosed with Covid this month due to the outbreak of the virus in the frontier areas.
Also read: Advisory committee suggests complete shutdown in Bangladesh for minimum 14 days
Robed said the Corona situation has deteriorated in Barishal, Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna, Mymensingh and Rangpur divisions over the last one week.
He said the virus infection has declined in Rajshahi while Sylhet is in a somewhat stable condition. “Khulna division witnessed the highest number of Covid deaths over the last one week.”
The DGHs spokesman said there are many empty beds and ICUs in government and private hospitals in different parts of the country, including Dhaka, but the picture of hospitals in border areas is different as most of them are overwhelmed.
A bridge that serves no purpose
For the 1,000-plus children of two remote villages in Kaliganj upazila, the daily commute to school is nothing short of an ordeal. This is because the only bridge over a feeder stream of the Teesta in the Chor Boirati area has been lying useless for the past six years for want of a proper approach road on one side.
Also read: Crossing canal on bamboo bridge is a risky affair for Sunamganj villagers
"It's a long walk to school every morning. We are forced to take a detour of 4-5km to reach our school," an eight-year-old girl student told UNB on her way to school earlier this week.
In fact, the residents of the neighbouring hamlets have been facing immense sufferings since 2015 when the connecting road on the east side of the bridge was washed away in flash floods. Their repeated requests for the construction of the approach road to the authorities concerned have so far fallen on deaf ears.
Also read: Faridpur: Bailey bridge collapse snaps road link
"My students suffer everyday because of the reluctance of the local representatives in accelerating the repair work of the approach road on the east side of the bridge,” said Abu Bakar Siddique, the principal of Dakshin Ghoneshyam Government Primary School.
It's a nightmare for other residents as well. "Going to the market for buying daily essentials or selling our farm produce is really a pain. The upazila chairman and other members visit our area only during the elections. They make big promises only to forget after winning the polls," said Ayub Ali, a 60-year-old farmer.
Also read: Bridge linking Haripur and Kushtia on brink of collapse in just 3 years
Some 20,000 families live in the two villages. In the 1997-98 financial year, the bridge was built over the feeder stream of the Teesta at a cost of Tk 3 lakh by the local government engineering department for the benefit of the residents of the two villages.
When contacted, the engineer of Kaliganj upazila, ATM Shamshuzzaman, claimed that he was not aware of the situation. "But I will soon visit the area and take necessary steps to alleviate the sufferings of the local people," he said.
How does DU plan to take semester final exams amid pandemic?
The University of Dhaka remains closed over 15 months since the Covid-19 pandemic hit Bangladesh and the situation is getting worse day by day. The university moved academic activities online but for different limitations, online learning has not proved effective as ‘expected’.
Amid the student’s long demand to take their final exams, the Dhaka University (DU) authorities have decided to hold in-person final examinations of all academic years from July if the Covid-19 situation in the country remains under control. If not, the examinations will be held online.
Authorities in confusion
After the DU authorities decided to take exams, some departments and institutions fixed the date but as the Covid situation is worsening day by day, uncertainty looms again over holding the exams.
Like other departments, the department of accounting and information system and philosophy department had announced in-person exam schedules but postponed them later. Psychology and leather engineering departments prolonged the online exam dates. Institute of Education and Research fixed 7 July for in-person final exams but later moved the date to August.
Students are worried over such uncertainty. Tanvir Ahmed Fahad, a student of the Philosophy department, said, “Most departments postponed exam schedules and some departments like Persian Language and Literature are taking their exams. In such a situation, we’re in uncertainty whether our exams will be held or not. If the exams are held, we'll have to manage accommodations in the city to stay for some days as the dormitories will not reopen.
“Many students come to Dhaka and rent for off-campus accommodations in the city but they are not sure what to do amid the uncertainty,” he added.
Deans and chairs of different departments said they were instructed to take exams and they will do so. The decision depends on the academic council and the vice chancellor.
Asked about residential facilities for students, deans said, “It depends on the authority.”
Contacted, dean of the Social Sciences Faculty Dr Sadeka Halim told UNB, “In a recent meeting with all chairs of 16 departments under my faculty, 10 departments said they will take in-person offline exams and the rest of them decided to take exams online. The situation is uncertain and we’ll have to take further decisions considering the pandemic situation.”
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Asked about residential facilities for students, Dr. Sadeka Halim said, “It totally depends on the academic council and administration. We, the deans, told them to consider residential facilities for students. Otherwise, all students cannot attend in-person exams. A majority of the students, particularly those from far-flung areas of the country, just can't afford to pay rent for off-campus accommodations in the city. We told them and they (Provost standing committee, VC, Pro-VC) are responsible for taking decisions regarding this. We’ll do whatever they say.”
Asked if any student is unable to attend exams for valid reasons, Prof Sadeka Halim said, “It depends on faculties and institutions. The Social Sciences Faculty will consider later if anyone fails to attend the in-person exams.”
DU Pro-Vice Chancellor (Education) Prof Maksud Kamal said, “All departments are independent when it comes to taking exams. We instructed them and they can take exams whether online or offline.”
DU Pro-Vice Chancellor (Administration) Prof Dr Abdus Samad said, “The situation is worse than before. Students shouldn’t come to the campus before they are vaccinated.”
Asked about online exams, Prof Samad said, “The majority of students can’t even join classes. Statistics show that only 55 percent of students cannot join their classes for various limitations. So, it’s illogical to take exams online while the majority of our students are out of the frame.”
Asked how exams will be taken amid the pandemic, Director of the Institute of Education and Research, Prof Dr Abdul Malek said, “We’ll follow the central decision of the university,”
Arts Faculty dean Prof Dr Abu Md Delower Hossain also said the same.
Engineering Faculty Dean Prof Dr Md Hasanuzzaman said, “The VC knows better whether the exams will be held or not amid the country’s worsening covid situation.”
Vice Chancellor Prof Akhtaruzzaman said, “Exams will be taken as per our previous decision – either online or offline. If the pandemic worsens or a lockdown is imposed, then students shouldn’t be moved to Dhaka.”
He, however, declined to talk in detail over the phone as there is a chance of ‘misinterpretation’.
Online not a good option
All the educational institutions, including universities, suspended academic activities on March 15 last year to curb the spread of Covid-19. And later, the DU introduced online classes from the first week of July last following a directive of the University Grants Commission (UGC).
But for various limitations, the authorities were unable to ensure the participation of all students in online classes as many still face problems, including the lack of proper devices, cost of internet use and network problems in remote areas.
A study, conducted last year, showed that only 55.3% of the students from public and private universities have access to a laptop, PC, or a tablet to attend an online class. The most important factor for online classes is internet connectivity and the survey revealed that 55% of the students are not supported by proper internet connections to continue with online education.
Also read: TSC reconstruction: DU authorities seek opinion from teachers, students
In Satkhira hamlet, no resting place for the dead
Arshad Ali Sana, a 78-year-old resident of Pratapnagar village in Ashashuni upazila, died at his residence last week due to old-age complications. He died at 11am on Friday, but it was another 12 hours before his family could bury him.
"We frantically searched for a proper burial place in the entire village for a good six-seven hours and then decided to build a concrete structure at the family graveyard to put the patriarch to rest. It was basically an above-ground burial," his son told UNB.
The reason behind the family's ordeal -- wet ground in Pratapnagar village that is making burials impossible, causing further anguish for bereaved families.
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Residents say that the entire village was inundated due to flash floods triggered by incessant rainfall under the impact of the devastating Cyclone Yaas. Though the flood water has started receding in some areas, it has rendered the ground wet.
Rohingya vaccination depends on arrival of vaccines from COVAX
UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, and the humanitarian community are waiting for the arrival of vaccine doses under the COVAX facility to begin the vaccination of Rohingyas in Bangladesh as it was originally scheduled to begin by the end of March.
The government of Bangladesh, however, wants to ensure vaccination of both the Rohingyas and host community together depending on the availability of vaccine doses as it does not want to see any discrimination against anybody, officials said.
Bangladesh, meanwhile, saw a significant rise in the number of Covid-19 positive cases in Rohingya camps in April and May last.
Also read: Strict lockdown imposed in Teknaf and five Rohingya camps
Twenty people died of Covid infections in the camps, while 1,566 Covid-19 cases were confirmed as of June 20, according to the UNHCR.
Road development and repairs cripple life for Cox's Bazar residents
The condition of the roads in Cox's Bazar city, including bypasses and alleyways, has been ravaged with the arrival of the monsoon season. Potholes are everywhere on the roads. During the monsoon, these fragile roads become muddy. The roads are so dilapidated that you hardly find a spot to land your feet firmly, let alone drive a vehicle. The city's residents are facing extreme sufferings.
The Cox's Bazar Development Authority has dug a 3-4 feet trench where eventually there will be the completely relaid main road of Cox's Bazar municipal town. Movement of passenger buses and other vehicles on this old 5 km road is barred. No heavy vehicles can enter this road from outside the city. Due to the dilapidated condition of the road, people cannot even walk.
Abul Kashem, a businessman on the city's Hospital Road, fell 3-feet-deep into the trench during construction and broke his leg. He was bedridden for three months.
He said, "Looking at the condition of the road, it seems that the city dwellers have committed a sin so they are suffering in hell today. I have never seen any road development work without leaving a space for pedestrins anywhere on the road. For example I have seen before that development work was done on one side of the road leaving the other side free for commuting. Now I see the whole road has been dug."
Meanwhile, Cox's Bazar Municipality has started construction of new roads for the last one and half years. Simultaneously, 29 roads and bypasses of the city were demolished and drainage work was started. Construction of all the drains has not been completed even in a year and a half. As a result, every road has remains unpaved. These roads have become unsuitable for vehicular traffic. People are not able to move freely. There is no place to step on any street in the city during this monsoon.
Also read: Thousands suffer as road turns unfit within a year of renovation in Sunamganj
On June 9, State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Mahbub Ali MP at a workshop at Hotel Shaibal in Cox's Bazar said such a fragile condition of the roads in the tourist city could not have been imagined. "Nowhere else in Bangladesh is there such a miserable condition of the road on the way from the airport. It is necessary to develop the road quickly so that there is no misconception among the domestic and foreign tourists," he lamented.
Cox's Bazar Municipality Executive Engineer Md. Nurul Alam said Cox's Bazar Municipality started construction of 29 roads and bypasses a year and a half ago. The construction work spanning 32 km over the 29 roads has not been completed yet. It is being implemented with World Bank funding under the Municipal Governance and Services Project (MGSP) and UGP-3 project of the Local Government Department. The cost of this project is estimated at around Tk. 500 crore.
Also read: People suffering due to dilapidated road in Munshiganj
School playground turns into waterbody
A school playground is a place of recreation and relaxation for students but the playground of Shahzadpur High School in Sarail upazila has turned into a waterbody, thanks to authorities’ negligence.
The playground of the school remained waterlogged for the last two months as rainwater could not be drained out.
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If anyone sees the school ground for the first time he/she can easily mistakes it for a pond.
Due to the closure of educational institutions in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic the students are not going to the school for more than a year.
When teachers and guardians come to the school for work and submission of assignments and other purposes they have to wade through the water to reach the school premises.
The school ground remained waterlogged for the past two months as no one has taken initiative to resolve the problem.
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Teachers and guardians fear that if the situation continues for a longer period then the students will suffer a lot after reopening of the educational institutions.
They demanded effective measures to remove water from the playground of the school immediately but yet to get any response from the authorities.
Abinash Chandra Deb, Headmaster of Shahzadpur High School, said “The waterlogging problem has been created for land filling in the adjacent areas.”
“We have informed the matter to Sarail Upazila Parishad Chairman, UNO, Upazila Secondary Education Officer and Shahzadpur UP Chairman 20-22 days ago and the UNO asked the local UP chairman to see the matter. But still no visible measures have been taken,” he said.
He urged the government to take effective measures to free the school ground from waterlogging problem.
Read: Brahmanbaria paddy farmers' struggle to protect their land
Zaharlal Bhowmik, Chairman of School managing committee, said, “The stagnation of water has been created due to poor drainage system as there are cluster villages around the school building.”
Rafiqul Islam Khokon, chairman of Shahzadpur union, said, “I have visited the place personally and discussed the matter with the authorities concerned. A report has been sent to the UNO and hope work will begin soon to drain out the water.”
Govt. seeks higher growth for lower poverty, says budget document
A higher economic growth remains high on the government’s agenda for reducing poverty and inequalities that will lead to improved living standard of the low-income people, according to a document in the upcoming national budget.
To achieve this goal, the government is seeking to bring more vulnerable groups under the social safety network, create local and overseas employment, increase microcredit and skills training.
These sectors will receive higher attention in the 2021-22 fiscal budget, said the document.
It said that one of the basic commitments of the government is to achieve higher economic growth through sustainable and inclusive development.
The growth rate for fiscal 2021-22 has been set at 7.2 per cent.
In formulating the budget, priority has been to implement plans for the creation of investment-friendly environment, promotion of export, business-friendly tax management, reforms in the financial sector and increase public investment through Tk 225,324-crore Annual Development Programme.
Also read: SANEM survey: Population below poverty line doubled, extreme poor trebled in 2020
The aim is to achieving higher growth.
In the ADP, the focus is on strengthening the health sector infrastructure, establishing the social safety net and removing infrastructural bottlenecks to promote private sector investment.
Another important goal of the government will be to ensure timely implementation of all nationally important projects including mega projects in the infrastructure sector to sustain the higher growth rate.
Also read: Nations must work together to reverse setbacks to poverty reduction: WB
A home that gives the much-needed identity
Abu Salek, in his early 40s, had a very painful life for the last 26 years as he had no home of his own. He now thinks life could be better, much better!
“At one point of time things were horrible for me... I spent 26 years without a home,” Salek told the UNB correspondent in Brahmanbaria.
Salek is no longer a homeless man as he, along with many others, got a semi-pucca two-decimal house gifted by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in January last of the Mujib Year.
Read ‘This is biggest festival ever’: Hasina about home distribution among homeless