The Asia Foundation (TAF) in Bangladesh and UNESCO Dhaka Office have announced partnership, marking the International Day of Education 2021 that falls on January 24.

Through the partnership, The Asia Foundation in Bangladesh and UNESCO Dhaka Office aim to develop and strengthen reading materials, including storybooks and carry out reading activities around the cultural heritage of Bangladesh utilising local resources and promoting reading among the children and youths of Bangladesh.

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The project leverages imaginative and well-crafted storybooks which can play a critical role in the positive development of children and societies, allowing children to attain literacy as well as build their critical thinking skills, said the UN office in Dhaka on Saturday.

Incorporating the subject of cultural heritage into storybooks can be a useful tool to equip children and youths with a sense of belonging and identity while allowing them to learn about the rich cultural heritage of Bangladesh.

Within this context, The Asia Foundation in close cooperation and partnership with UNESCO Dhaka Office will produce original, high-quality, interesting, engaging, and relatable children’s books on a variety of Cultural Heritage related topics under the theme of “Let’s Read about Heritage”.

The fire that broke out at a garment factory in city’s Kamalapur area on Sunday morning was doused.

Nazma Akter, duty officer of Fire Service and Civil Defence Control room, said the firefighting units managed to fully put out the fire around 11:28 am.

However, there was no report of any casualty. 

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The fire broke out at ‘Oli Garment’ adjacent to BRTC bus depot around 7:40 am, said Quamrul Hasan, duty officer at Fire Service and Civil Defence.

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On information, 10 firefighting units went to the spot and brought the fire under control around 9 am.

However, it was not clear what caused the fire.

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State Minister for Labour and Employment Begum Monnujan Sufian on Saturday said the factories have to be compliant for the development of the leather sector.

She also urged factory owners to take effective steps to prevent environment pollution.

“The government is with the owners for the development of the export-oriented sector. We have to take the industry forward by producing quality goods and ensuring rights of the workers as per the Labour Law,” she said at a dialogue organised by the Asia Foundation on the impact of coronavirus on the workers of the tannery industry.

The diabetes journey application and the country’s first diabetes treatment guideline were disseminated Friday among doctors.

The application will work based on the “Diabetes Care BADAS Guideline”.

Diabetic Association of Bangladesh (BADAS) and Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) Control Programme of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) jointly prepared the diabetes treatment guideline.

The dissemination programme of application and guideline was held at a hotel in Dhaka.

BADAS has introduced application and prepared guideline with the support of Novo Nordisk. A countrywide training programme will be rolled out for the physicians on how to use this application.  

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The application and guideline are developed as a supporting tool for physicians and empower them to select the right medication for patient living with diabetes, said Professor Dr AK Azad Khan, president of BADAS.

The number of diabetic people is increasing at an alarming rate and that’s why quality treatment is essential for these patients, said Professor Akhtar Hussain, president (elect), International Diabetes Federation.

The application and guideline will ensure quality treatment and help patients to live a complications free life, he said.

Improving treatment capacity of the doctors is also a demand of the time and these initiatives are aligned with the modernising treatment of diabetes management, said Professor Md Robed Amin, Line Director, NCD Control Program of DGHS.

BADAS with the support of Novo Nordisk has taken many initiatives to introduce digital approach in healthcare, said Md Sayef Uddin, secretary general of BADAS.

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The diabetes journey application and the country’s first nationwide diabetes patients’ registry are few examples of digitalisation in Bangladesh and are aligned with the government’s vision for “Digital Bangladesh”, he said.

Dr Abu Hussain Md Moinul Ahsan, civil surgeon of Dhaka; Professor Md Faruque Pathan, president of Bangladesh Endocrine Society; Dr MA Samad, chief executive officer of National Healthcare Network; Professor MKI Quayyum Choudhury, director general, BIRDEM General Hospital; Dr Bishwajit Bhowmik, general secretary of Diabetes Asia Study Group and Coordinator, Centre for Global health Research; Dr Abdul Alim, programme manager, NCD Control Program of DGHS; Tanbir Sajib, director of commercial affairs of Novo Nordisk; and Dr Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman, director of clinical, medical, regulatory and quality affairs of Novo Nordisk were present in the programme.

Two people, including a motorcyclist, were killed after as a passenger bus hit the motorcycle on Mayor Hanif Flyover at Joykali Temple on Saturday.

The victims were identified as Akhtar Hossain, 37, and Community Police member Mofizul Islam, 40.

The incident occurred when a Gulistan-bound passenger bus of Jounopur Paribahan from Jatrabari hit the motorcycle from behind. The motorcyclist hit on-duty community police member Mofizul, said his colleague Badrul Islam.

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Akhtar and Mofizul were taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH). Akhter was pronounced dead around 5:15pm, while Mofizul succumbed to his injuries after some times, Badrul said.

DMCH police camp in-charge Bachchu Mia said the bodies were sent to the DMCH for post-mortem examination.

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Akhtar hailed from Pirgachha upazila of Rangpur. He had been living at Azimpur Staff Quarter with his wife Farida Yesmin, a senior staff nurse of the DMCH.

Akhtar worked at a private hospital in Naryangonj. He was returning home from work, said Abdul Aziz, his father-in-law.

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