Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Wednesday claimed to have arrested 50 people on charges of selling and consuming banned drugs. Sources at the DMP headquarters said Detective Branch sleuths and local police conducted drives across the city in the past 24 hours and arrested them. Around 4,766 pieces of yaba, 44.320kg cannabis, 150g heroin, 72 bottles of foreign liquor, and 20 bottles of Phensedyl, a codeine-based cough syrup that fetches a high price in the narcotics market of Bangladesh, were recovered from the possession of the accused, the sources told UNB. Also Read: Drug peddling: Fugitive convict arrested from Gazipur after seven years, says Rab Thirty-one cases were registered at local police stations against them under the Narcotics Control Act.    

The Department of Environment (DoE) has fined 10 establishments and 26 vehicles TK 4.45 lakh through mobile court operations at five spots in Dhaka and its adjacent areas for polluting air. The drives were conducted at Savar, Manik Mia avenue, Khilkhet, Aftabnagar, and Bypass Expressway area of Gazipur. Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Minister Md Shahab Uddin visited the mobile court operations at Manik Mia avenue, Khilkhet, and Aftabnagar. “Government will do whatever is needed to curb air pollution. We would continue our drives against polluters,” said the minister. Also Read: Dhaka’s air pollution: HC asks what steps have been taken Deputy Minister of the ministry Habibun Nahar, Secretary Dr. Farhina Ahmed, Director General of DoE, and other senior officials were also present during the drives. Secretary Dr. Farhina Ahmed said the ministry urged all DCs to take action against polluters. A special meeting is will be held to determine the related ministry’s responsibilities, she said. Two contractor firms of Dhaka Bypass Expressway and BRT highway were fined TK 1 lakh. TK 2.5 lakh fine was collected from 7 establishments at Aftabnagar. The rest of the amount was collected from different vehicles.    

The government launched drives across the country against illegal rice hoarders from Tuesday, said the Food Ministry. Eight teams of the ministry started the drives to detect those who are involved in creating artificial crisis by hoarding rice illegally and they will take legal steps against them, according to an official release. Also read: Cabinet orders prompt action against rice hoarders The decision was taken at a meeting with Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder in the chair, held at the Secretariat. The meeting also decided to send letters to the deputy commissioners, upazila nirbahi officers, National Security Intelligence, Rapid Action Battalion and Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection to tackle the crisis created by illegal hoarding of rice. The Food Ministry also opened a control room and people have been requested to inform them about illegal rice hoarding by making phone call on +88022233802113, 01790499942 and 01713003506. The Cabinet on Monday directed the relevant authorities to find out why the rice price is so high during the peak harvest season. Also read:Strict action if anyone tries to destabilise rice market: Food Minister The directive came from the Cabinet meeting held with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair at her office. The meeting decided to conduct drives against illegal rice hoarders like the recent drives carried out against the edible oil hoarders in the country, said Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam.

Authorities reported 53 more dengue cases in 24 hours until Sunday morning even if anti-mosquito drives continues in the capital city. The recent spike in dengue cases has added to the worries as the country continues to grapple with the devastating second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.   Some 190 patients diagnosed with dengue are currently receiving treatment at different government and private hospitals across the country as of Sunday morning, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). Also read: 48 more dengue cases reported in Bangladesh Of them, one patient is receiving treatment at a hospital outside Dhaka. All the new patients were reported of being admitted to different hospitals in Dhaka, and no one was reported to be hospitalized outside Dhaka during the period. So far, 726 patients have been admitted to different hospitals with dengue since January and 536 of them have been released after recovery. Also read: 36 more dengue cases reported in 24 hrs The DGHS reported 1,193 dengue cases and three confirmed dengue-related deaths in 2020. According to official figures, 101,354 dengue cases and 179 deaths were recorded in Bangladesh in 2019. Dengue fever was first reported in Bangladesh in 2000 when it claimed 93 lives. In the following three years, the fatalities almost fell to zero. However, the mosquito-borne viral infection struck again in 2018, killing 26, and infecting 10,148 people.