The Bangladesh government's Covid-19 mass vaccination drive reached the Rangamati hills Tuesday, all thanks to the local administration and the Bangladeshi armed forces. Barathali union of Bilaichhari upazila in Rangamati is one of the remotest parts of the Chattogram hills. Read: 1.7mn Sinopharm vaccine doses to arrive soon Despite beginning on August 7, the Rangamati health department struggled to take the benefits of the mega Covid-19 inoculation drive to this remote place. Member of Parliament Dipankar Talukdar, in collaboration with the local administration and the Bangladeshi armed forces, came forward to ensure helicopter support for a team of the health department so that jabs could reach the Barathali union residents. A helicopter of the Bangladesh Air Force took off for Bilachari on Tuesday morning from the Rangamati air base with vaccines and healthcare staffers, said Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Dr Rashmi Chakma. “Around 600 adults of the union will get their first Covid jab on Tuesday itself,” said Dr Rashmi. “Besides, the required medical equipment to treat Covid patients will also be provided." Bilaichhari Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Mizanur Rahman said his team repeatedly failed to vist the remote union because of security and communication concerns. Read: 2 held over taking vaccine at home in Chattogram He thanked the local MP and the Army for finally making it possible and hoped that the collaboration would continue. As the ruthless Delta variant of Covid-19 keeps spreading like wildfire, Bangladesh on Saturday kicked off another phase of its mass vaccination drive aimed at inoculating 35 lakh people in six days.

Authorities have started a drive to evict families living illegally on the high-risk hills to save them from possible landslides casualties during upcoming monsoon.   The drive was launched on Monday by the district administration and department of environment of Chattogram.   Read: Heavy rain forecast triggers fear of landslide in Chattogram   It started at 11 am from the Bayezid section of the city's Faujdarhat-Bayezid Link Road.   Six magistrates conducted the operation in three groups.   Assistant Commissioner (Land) Mamnoon Ahmed Anik told the media that all illegal structures on both sides of Bayezid Link Road were being demolished.    “A simultaneous eviction drive led by six magistrates is underway in Kattli, Hathazari and Sitakunda sections of Link Road,” he added.   Rain triggers landslide fear in Chattogram; Over 50 families evacuated   A large number of police, RAB and fire service members were deployed in the operation.   According to the Chattogram district administration, around 835 families are living illegally in 17 high-risk hills of the port city.   Besides, 18 new hills were cut during the construction of CDA's Bayezid-Faujdarhat link road. The first day of the eviction drive saw the removal of the illegal establishments which crept up on these hills.   Environmentalists say the number of people living at risk in the various hills of Chittagong is around one lakh. From 2007 to 2020, more than two hundred people lost their lives in landslides in Chottagram.   The highest landslide fatalities occurred in 2007 when 127 people died on June 11.   Besides, 30 people were killed in a 2017 landslide.