Dhaka, Aug 18 (UNB) – After a significant fall on Saturday, dengue infections have marked a rise again as 1,706 new patients were hospitalised across the country in 24 hours till Sunday morning with the report of a death.

The number of dengue patients was 1,460 on Saturday against 1,719 on Friday and 1,929 on Thursday.

Meanwhile, a total of 2,394 people were discharged from hospitals during the period after the treatment for dengue, according to official figures.

A college student died of dengue at Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib General Hospital in Sirajganj on Saturday night.

The deceased was identified as Mehdi Hasan Mim Talukder, 17, a Class-XI student of Govt Hajee Korop Ali Memorial Degree College and son of Aminul Islam Monnu Talukder of Haluakandi village in Kamarkhand upazila.

Dr Faridul Islam, resident medical officer of the hospital, said Mehdi was admitted to the hospital with dengue fever on August 14 and he died around 8pm.

Meanwhile, family members blamed negligence by doctors and nurses for Mehdi’s death.

Of the new dengue infections, 734 were reported in Dhaka city alone while the rest in other divisions, according to the Health Emergency Operation Center and Control Room of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

The government has so far confirmed 40 deaths although unofficial estimates suggest the death toll is much higher. 

Currently, 7,168 patients are undergoing treatment at different hospitals and clinics, less by 7 percent than Saturday.

Of them, 3,668 are hospitalised in the capital and 3,500 around the country. 

Bangladesh is grappling with its worst outbreak of dengue. Dhaka, the densely-populated megacity, has been at the centre of the outbreak.

There is no specific treatment for dengue or severe dengue, WHO says. But early detection and access to proper medical care lowers fatality rates below 1 percent.

Dhaka, Aug 18 (UNB) -The Department of Environment (DoE) here on Sunday ordered the closure of Asian Paper Mills for polluting the Halda River, the country’s largest fish spawning ground.

DoE director (Chattogram) Azadur Rahman Mollick said a team from the divisional office of the department visited the mill on August 14 and issued the order to shut it saying that its waste management system was faulty. 

He said the mill authorities were polluting the river by draining its untreated water into the river.

The paper mill was declared shut as it violated four conditions, including the construction of an effluent treatment plant (ETP) in their factory.

The paper mill is situated at Nondirhat in Hathazari upazila of the district.

On July 17, the DoE suspended the production of Picking Power Plant in Hathazari upazila and fined it Tk 20 lakh on charge of polluting the Halda River by dumping wastes.

The DoE issued the order to the authorities of the 100 mw power plant during a hearing on allegations of polluting the river by dumping wastes.

Dhaka, Aug 18 (UNB) – At least 224 people were killed and 886 others injured in 203 road accidents across the country in 12 days before and after the Eid-ul-Azha, said Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity, a passengers' welfare platform, on Sunday.

The road accidents took place on different national and regional highways from August 6 to August 17, according to a report prepared by the organisation.

Of the total dead and injured, 37 were drivers while 3 transport workers, 70 women, 22 children, 42 students, 3 journalists, 2 physicians, 8 law enforcers, 3 politicians and 900 others pedestrians.

 Placing the report at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters' Unity (DRU) in the city, Jatri Kalyan Samity secretary general Mozammel Haque Chowdhury said the number of road crashes and casualties saw a drop during his Eid vacation than that of last year.

During the Eid-ul-Azha last year, he said around 259 people were killed and 960 injured in 237 road accidents in 13 days.

Mozammel said they prepared the statistics based on different reports published in 41 national dailies, regional newspapers and 11 online news portals.

Besides, he said, 13 people were killed and 15 injured in train-related incidents while 16 died, 27 sustained injuries and 59 went missing in 24 accidents in waterways during the period.

Mozammel said the road condition was relatively better this year than the last year while some new launches were added to the existing fleet and some new trains introduced and compartments added before the eid vacation.

However, he said, the sufferings of passengers increased this year due to charging extra fare, tailbacks on roads and highways, train schedule collapse and black marketing of tickets and chaos at ferry terminals.

Among the deaths in road accidents, the Jatri Kalyan Samity secretary general said 52.21 percent were of pedestrians who were run over by vehicles while 34.37 were of motorbike riders.

He said the 85.21 percent road accidents will be possible to control during the next eid only by curbing motorbike accidents and running over the pedestrians by vehicles.

Of the 203 road accidents, Mozammel said 27.4 percent caused by buses, 26.33 percent by motorbikes, 16.4 percent by trucks, pickup vans, covered vans and lorries, 7.82 percent by microbus and cars, 13.52 percent by auto-rickshaws, 3.55 percent by human-haulers and 4.98 percent by battery-run rickshaws and easy-bikes.       

He said the plying of vehicles without fitness, reckless and nonstop driving, unskilled drivers and helpers, plying of slow-moving three-wheelers and human-haulers on highways, using motorbikes for long journeys and lack of sufficient footpaths are the main reasons behind the accidents.

The Samity put forward some recommendations to reduce the road accidents.

These include modernising the process of training drivers, issuing license and  fitness certificate, introducing digital traffic system, building National Road Safety Council as an effective body to check road crashes, setting up a driver training centre at the national level to create skilled drivers, arranging adequate quality transport to deal with overcrowding, arranging separate lanes for slow-moving and high-speeding vehicles on highways, implementing the government decision to stop the plying of unfit, and risky vehicles, ensuring the movement of passersby through creating footpaths, underpasses and overpasses on highways and implementing the recommendations formulated to ensure road safety.

Dhaka, Aug 18 (UNB) - Agriculture Minister Dr Abdur Razzaque on Sunday said the government will rehabilitate the flood-affected farmers and provide them with free fertilisers and seeds for the next Robi crop cultivation.

He came up with the announcement at the Secretariat while exchanging Eid greetings with officials. 

The minister said there has been little agricultural damage during the recent flood as there was no crop on croplands but seedbeds suffered damages. “Meanwhile, seeds have been sent to the affected areas so that famers can achieve the Aman production target.”

Abdur Razzaque said the government has kept aside a Tk-120 crore fund for providing agricultural subsidy to farmers.

Asked about the extent of seedbed damage by flood, he said it cannot be more than Tk 200 crore as floods did not hit all the districts.

He said the government’s aim is to modernise and mechanise the traditional agricultural system. 
 

Dhaka, Aug 18 (UNB) - A milad and doa mahfil was held at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on Sunday, marking the 44th martyrdom anniversary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and National Mourning Day.

Prime Minister's Economic Affairs Adviser Dr Mashiur Rahman, Energy Adviser Dr Towfique-e-Elahi Chowdhury and Principal Secretary Md Nojibur Rahman spoke on the occasion highlighting the life and works of the Father of the Nation.

PMO Secretary Sajjadul Hassan and other officials and employees of the PMO were present at the milad mahfil held after Zohr prayers.

A special munajat was offered seeking the eternal peace of the departed soul of Bangabandhu and other martyrs of the August-15 carnage, and continued peace, progress and prosperity of the nation.

Director of the Islamic Foundation Mufti Waliur Rahman Khan conducted the munajat.