Dhaka
Public transport thin in Dhaka; Commuters suffer
The presence of public transport was relatively thin in Dhaka on Thursday amid tension and fear of violence following Wednesday’s clash between police and BNP men, causing suffering to commuters.
Commuters were seen waiting on roads for long due to lack of public transport.
Md Asharf, operation manager of private transport agency ‘Alif Paribahan’, told UNB that though some 250 buses of the agency usually ply different roads in the city every day, the number was 130-135 buses since today’s morning.
Read more: Traffic movement halted in front of BNP’s Nayapaltan office
The number of passengers and general people on the roads was also thin compared to the normal days, he said adding that general people are not coming out of their houses unless they have any emergency work.
The number of passengers was low since morning, he said.
Md Hiron, a lineman of ‘Raich Paribahan’, said they have been operating 20-25 out of 40 buses on different routes as most of buses are running with a low number of passengers.
Abu Saleh Md Raihan, joint commissioner of traffic (north), said there was no traffic congestion in parts of the city today.
“The number of public transports on the roads is low compared to any other day,” he said.
Dhaka air 2nd most polluted in the world this morning
Dhaka has been ranked the second most polluted city in the world with ‘very unhealthy’ air quality this morning.
Dhaka’s air quality index (AQI) score was 215 at 9:15 am today (December 08, 2022).
An AQI between 201 and 300 is said to be ‘very unhealthy’, while a reading of 301 to 400 is considered ‘hazardous’, posing serious health risks to residents.
Pakistan’s Lahore and Mongolia’s Ulaanbaatar occupied the first and third spots in the list, with AQI scores of 343 and 201, respectively.
Also read: Dhaka’s air quality ‘very unhealthy’
An AQI between 101 and 200 is considered ‘unhealthy’, particularly for sensitive groups.
In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five kind of pollutants – Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone.
Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.
Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide. Breathing polluted air has long been recognised as increasing a person’s chances of developing a heart disease, chronic respiratory diseases, lung infections and cancer, according to several studies.
Read More: Air pollution 2nd biggest cause of deaths in Bangladesh in 2019, cost about 3.9-4.4% of GDP: World Bank
As per the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, largely as a result of increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections.
The worsening air quality of Dhaka city is threatening the health and lives of its residents.
Dengue death toll now 260 with two deaths
With two more deaths from dengue recorded in 24 hours till Wednesday morning, the official death toll from the mosquito-borne disease rose to 260 this year.During this period, 253 more patients, including 130 in Dhaka city, were hospitalised, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Read more: Dengue menace to continue till mid-November: ExpertsA total of 1,171 dengue patients, including 683 in the capital, are now receiving treatment at hospitals across the country.The DGHS has recorded 59, 449 dengue cases and 58,018 recoveries so far this year.
Dhaka is all set to raise the curtain of 19th Asian Art Biennale on Thursday
The 19th edition of the Asian Art Biennale, the longest-running international art biennale event in Asia, is now all set to welcome the art enthusiasts from home and beyond at the National Art Gallery of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) on Thursday.
The month-long art extravaganza will be inaugurated by Prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who will virtually raise the curtain of the biennale as the chief guest of the opening ceremony at the National Theatre Hall of the academy at 10 am.
State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid will chair the inaugural ceremony, which will be joined by Cultural Affairs Secretary Md Abul Monsur, President of the jury board of the event artist Rafiqun Nabi and jury board Jaroslaw Suchan as special guests.
Sponsored by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, the 19th Asian Art Biennale Bangladesh 2022 will include 649 pieces of art created by 493 artists from 114 nations, including 149 Bangladeshi artists. Three grand prizes and six honourable mention prizes will be announced at the opening ceremony.
On Tuesday, a press briefing was held at the Seminar Room of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy, where BSA Director General and chief coordinator of 19th Asian Art Biennale Bangladesh 2022 Liaquat Ali Lucky shared the details of the long-awaited flagship event of the organisation with the media.
“This 19th Asian Art Biennale Bangladesh 2022 is dedicated to the country's founding President and the father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who envisioned and established Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy which has been organizing the Asian Art Biennale, the largest art exhibition in Asia, for the past 40 years,” Lucky said at the press conference.
The 19th edition will showcase two-dimensional and three-dimensional artworks such as paintings, prints, photographs, sculptures, performance arts, installations and new media arts, crafted and presented by the participating native and foreign artists who channelled their contemporary thoughts through these artworks, Lucky said at the press conference.
Read more: 19th Asian Art Biennale to begin March 1, 2021
Eyeing for a regular event like the previous years, BSA had to postpone the 19th edition several times, according to Lucky. “Due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, we had to change the schedule for this biennale more than three times. Although we held other major exhibitions within the period, we are really happy to finally host this grand festivity at this time,” he said.
The 19th edition will feature a two-day international seminar titled ‘Home and Displacement’ with the participation of local and foreign artists, art critics, jury and observers. The seminar will be held on Friday and Saturday at the National Art Gallery Auditorium and Seminar Rooms of the National Theatre Building of the BSA.
In addition to the main exhibition at BSA, the Bangladesh National Museum will display 42 artworks of Bangladeshi legendary master artists from its collection as a part of the 19th Asian Art Biennale Bangladesh 2022.
The international jurors of the 19th Asian Art Biennale - Iwona Blazwick from the UK, Jagath Weerasinghe from Sri Lanka, artist Nurseren Tor from Turkey, and Jaroslaw Suchan from Poland were also present at the press conference, alongside BSA Fine Arts Director Syeda Mahbuba Karim and BSA Secretary Salahuddin Ahmed.
The 19th Asian Art Biennale Bangladesh 2022 will welcome its visitors till January 7, every day from 11 am to 8 pm.
Dhaka, Delhi agree on security, border management to strengthen cooperation
Bangladesh and India on Tuesday reiterated their commitment to further deepen and strengthen mutual cooperation in the security and border related issues.
The outcome came as the 18th meeting of the Joint Working Group (JWG) on security and border management between Bangladesh and India was held on December 5-6, according to a media statement issued by the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs.
The Indian delegation was led by Piyush Goyal, Additional Secretary, Indian Ministry of Home Affairs while Bangladesh delegation was led by AK Mukhlesur Rahman, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah had met the Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan on November 18 on the sidelines of the ‘No Money For Terror’ Conference in New Delhi.
Both sides had productive exchanges on border management and common security related issues during that meeting.
Following on from the meeting between the two ministers last month, at Tuesday’s meeting both sides highlighted the excellent bilateral relations between the two countries and reiterated their commitment to further deepen mutual cooperation.
Read more: Dhaka, Delhi "committed to further enhance" bilateral military ties
The Bangladesh side recalled the Indian contribution during the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971.
Bilateral issues such as border fencing and developmental works within 150 yards of the international border, illegal crossing, bilateral cooperation in checking insurgency, combating terrorism, organised crimes and smuggling were also discussed in the meeting.
Read more: Dhaka, Delhi eye more achievements through joint efforts with solid stability
709 killed, 840 hurt in accidents in November
As many as 709 people were killed and 840 others injured in 668 accidents that occurred on road, railways and waterways in November across the country, according to the Passenger Welfare Association of Bangladesh.
Among the casualties, 643 people were killed and 826 injured in 586 accidents on roads and highways during the period from November 1 to November 30. Besides, 51 people were killed and four others injured in 64 accidents on the railway while 15 people were killed, 10 others injured and seven people reported missing in 18 accidents on the waterways during the same period.
Passenger Welfare Association of Bangladesh, a non-government organisation, compiled the report based on published news of various national dailies, online news portals and mass media, said a press release on Tuesday.
Read more: 7 killed in road accidents in 3 districts
The group identified several reasons behind most of the accidents. Among them, dangerous overtaking, reckless speed, unfit vehicles, lack of footpaths or grabbed footpaths, sudden entrance of vehicles from feeder roads at railway crossings and highways, increasing number of small vehicles.
Besides, lack of service lanes on various national and regional highways, easy bikes, rickshaws, autorickshaws come down from various feeder roads on national and regional highways were the other reasons, it said.
Read more: 5 dead, 4 injured in Narayanganj road accident
Dhaka’s air unhealthy this morning
Dhaka's air quality continued to be in the 'unhealthy' zone on Monday morning.
With an air quality index (AQI) score of 190 at 9 am, Dhaka ranked fifth in the list of cities around the world with the worst air quality.
An AQI between 101 and 200 is considered 'unhealthy', particularly for sensitive groups.
Read more: Air pollution 2nd biggest cause of deaths in Bangladesh in 2019, cost about 3.9-4.4% of GDP: World Bank
Pakistan’s Lahore, India’s Delhi and Pakistan’s Karachi occupied the first three spots in the list, with AQI scores of 401, 222 and 212, respectively.
An AQI between 201 and 300 is said to be 'poor', while a reading of 301 to 400 is considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents. In Bangladesh, the AQI score is based on five kinds of pollutants — particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone.
Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.
Read more: Air quality: Dhaka world’s 3rd most polluted city this morning
Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide. Breathing polluted air has long been recognised as increasing a person’s chances of developing a heart disease, chronic respiratory diseases, lung infections and cancer, according to several studies.
As per the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, largely as a result of increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections.
5.2 magnitude earthquake felt in Dhaka, other areas
A 5.2 magnitude earthquake was felt in Dhaka and some other parts of the country this morning (05 December, 2022), according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).
The earthquake was felt at 9:02 am, it said.
Read more: Strong quake shakes main Indonesia island; no tsunami alert
According to the USGS, the epicenter of the earthquake was at a depth of 10km in the Bay of Bengal. However, no casualties were reported so far.
First summit on biologic medicines held in Dhaka
To raise public awareness on the uses of modern and effective biologic medicines, which can play "a game-changing role in the treatment of diseases such as diabetes, arthritis, and psoriasis," the first "Biologic Summit" was recently held at a city hotel in Dhaka.
The summit centred on the basic grounds of biologic medicines, elaborating on its concept and persisting challenges, and its use in Bangladesh.
Read: World Health Summit 2022 begins October 16 in Berlin
The overall scenario of the medical industry has drastically transformed over the past couple of decades. From chemical compounds, it shifted to biologics and cell and gene therapy.
Due to certain challenges, the issue of the use of biologics in Bangladesh is bubbling under. However, biologics show great potential in the near future as a more targeted means of medication.
"The future will witness more and more obtaining of biologic medicines. Doctors and patients need to be more aware of its terms of usage and advantages," Novartis Bangladesh Country President Dr Riad Mamun Prodhani said.
Read: PM at World Marketing Summit: 'Bangladesh an ideal place for investment'
"Biologic medicines lead to long-term and effective treatments, but if organisations from the financing industry and government stakeholders step in to consider the prospects seriously – I believe we can extend the benefits of this in our country."
Biologic medicines became a part of medical treatments in the 19th century across the world. The first use of biologic medicines, especially monoclonal antibodies, in Bangladesh was recorded in early 2000.
7 Food Delivery Apps for Dhaka
The hectic traffic jams of Dhaka city discourage many people to visit the physical food outlets and restaurants. App-based online food delivery services have appeared as a savior for Dhaka city residents. Using the food delivery apps, food enthusiasts and office goers can order desirable foods from their chosen restaurants after checking ratings and reviewing. Let’s take a look at 7 well-known food delivery apps to order food within Dhaka city.
7 Online Food Delivery Services in Dhaka
Food Panda
The app was released on 19th November 2019. It has an average of 4.2-star play store with more than 2 lakh user ratings. The app has been downloaded over 100M times. FoodPanda now operates in around eleven countries throughout the globe including Bangladesh. They provide their services in a variety of locations in Bangladesh, beyond Dhaka city.
Pathao Food
Pathao is the greatest online food service for you to use if you want to get your meal exactly one hour after placing your order with them. You need to download their applications to your Android mobile devices in order to make use of their services. However, you have the ability to choose which restaurants are shown on the app.
Read More: 5 Bangladeshi Winter Recipes Using Date Jaggery
Shohoz Food
Shohoz company sells tickets for various transport services, including launches, motorcycles, trucks, buses, etc. Their food delivery lineup called Shohoz Food is one of the largest online food service providers for residents of the city of Dhaka.
They are working with a large number of eateries located around Dhaka and delivering orders in a timely manner. The Shohoz food app is not available in the play store right now. However, it can be downloaded from the official Shohoz blog. This app can be downloaded on mobile devices running either Android or iOS.
HungryNaki
Hungrynaki has become one of the most well-known and widely used online meal delivery services in Bangladesh. It is one of the earliest online meal delivery services based in Bangladesh. Hungrynaki is the choice that you should choose since it covers the cuisine of more than 800 different eateries. Customers who pay with credit cards get discounts on their orders placed via Hungrynaki.
Read More: 5 Yummy Samucha Recipes for Evening Snackers
The HungryNaki app is also available to make things more enjoyable by providing a more convenient dining experience. You may sign in to the application using your HungryNaki account, Gmail account, or Facebook account. The app was released on 10th January 2014.
Khaas Food
Khaas Food is just not another leading name in food delivery services in Dhaka. It has become the most popular name among grocery delivery services in Bangladesh. Since its first release in 2015, the app is providing consistent service delivering fresh and intoxicated food to the inhabitants of Dhaka city.
Khaas Food has currently 100+ products and provides home delivery within Dhaka, Chattogram, Comilla, and Sylhet city and has served 35 thousand satisfied customers to date.
Read More: 5 Nepali Momo Recipes for Bangladeshi Kitchen
Cookups
Cookrups is the greatest site to use if you want to purchase handmade dishes online since it allows you to do so. In addition to this, it offers groceries products over the whole of the city in Bangladesh.
This app can be downloaded from the app stores for Android and iOS-based smartphones. It is ahead of the pack across the board in terms of women. The Cookups app was released on 8th August 2017.
Kludio Asia
Kludio began its journey with such a large number of companies. For the purpose of the company to the consumers, and for the customers to the classified products. They provide a wide variety of tastes under a variety of brand names, like "hero burger," "fried box," "dough on the go," and several more. They provide services covering a very wide variety of cuisines.
Read More: 5 Healthy Winter Soup Recipes for Weight Loss
Conclusion
Only Dhaka dwellers know how much hassle it is to move from one place to another in Dhaka due to traffic jams and overpopulation. In recent years, several food delivery businesses have emerged in Dhaka city to deliver food and drinks to busy people. Not all of them have reached the standard level of success.
However, online food delivery start-ups are trying to ease Dhaka city's residents’ life by saving them from going out and experiencing traffic jams to just eat some food. So far, we have discussed 7 App-based Food Delivery Services in Dhaka. Pick your online food delivery service after checking ratings and reviews.
Read More: 5 Yummy Winter Pitha Recipes for Diabetics