United News of Bangladesh

The 115th edition of traditional ‘Jabbarer Boli Khela’ (wrestling competition) kicked off at historic Laldighi ground in the port city of Chattogram on Thursday afternoon amid the countrywide scorching heat. Like every year, interested competitors submitted their names to the organising committee to participate in this year's Boli Khela. Their names were taken till 11 am on Thursday. For the competition, the stage of 'Boli-Khela' was built on 165 poles at Laldighi ground, said organisers. Though the main event started today, a ‘Baishakhi Mela’ centring the competition started Tuesday. The crowd at the fair venue started to increase from Wednesday noon. On the other hand, organising the Boli Khela amid the prevailing heat wave sparked criticism on social media. Although some are in favour of continuing the game others are suggesting its postponement.  

Bangladesh reported 16 more COVID-19 cases in 24 hours till Thursday morning. With the new numbers, the country's total COVID-19 caseload rose to 2,049,931, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). The official death toll from the disease remained unchanged at 29,494 as no new fatalities were reported during this period. The daily case test positivity rate was 4.09 percent as 391 samples were tested, said the DGHS. The recovery and death rates stood at 98.41 percent and 1.44 per cent, respectively.

The severe heat wave sweeping parts of Bangladesh continued unabated and rain may increase in northeastern part of the country on  Sunday or Monday, said Bangladesh Meteorological Department. “Severe heat wave is sweeping Khulna division , Dinajpur, Nilphamari, Rajshahi, Pabna, Faridpur  and Gopalgonj distircts. Mild to moderate heat wave is sweeping Barishal division, parts of Rangpur, Rajshahi & Dhaka divisions and Mymensingh, Moulvibazar, Rangamati, Chandpur, Noahkali, Feni & Bandarban and it may continue,”said a Met office bulletin. It also issued a warning that the ongoing heat wave may persist for 72 hours starting Thursday morning. Rain or thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty or squally wind is likely to occur at one or two places over Chattogram and  Sylhet divisions with hails at isolated places. Weather may remain mainly dry with temporary partly cloudy sky elsewhere over the country. Day and night temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country in 24 hours commencing 9am on Thursday. Due to increase of moisture incursion, the discomfort may persist. The highest temperature of the country was recoded at 41.6 degree Celsius at Mongla in Khulna on Wednesday.

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has issued a warning that the ongoing heatwave is likely to persist for 72 hours starting Thursday (April 25, 2024) morning. The BMD cites increased moisture incursion as a factor contributing to the sustained uncomfortable conditions. Met office issues heat alert for another 72 hours This announcement follows earlier alerts issued on April 19 and April 22, as the BMD continues to monitor and respond to the challenging weather patterns affecting the region. 25-year-old dies of heatstroke in Ctg

Dhaka has ranked 15th on the list of cities with the worst air quality, with an AQI score of 119, at 8:59 am this morning. The air quality of the city today was classified as 'unhealthy' for sensitive groups. India’s Delhi, Egypt’s Cairo, and Nepal’s Kathmandu occupied the first, second and third spots on the list, with AQI scores of 385, 187 and 171, respectively. Dhaka’s air quality 5th worst in the world this morning When the AQI value for particle pollution is between 101 and 150, air quality is considered ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, between 150 and 200 is ‘unhealthy’, between 201 and 300 is said to be 'very unhealthy', while a reading of 301+ is considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents. The AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, informs people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is and what associated health effects might be a concern for them. The AQI in Bangladesh is based on five pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and ozone. Dhaka’s air quality 4th worst in the world this morning Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon. As per World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, mainly due to increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.  

If Aedes larvae are found in the construction sites of buildings, the work will be stopped if necessary, Mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh warned on Wednesday. "Our surveys found that under construction buildings are ideal sources for breeding of Aedes mosquitoes . . . tougher action will be taken against owners and authorities of under construction buildings if they ignore the directives to destroy breeding grounds of Aedes Mosquito," he said . He was talking to reporters after visiting renovation works of Dr Kazi Bashir Auditorium in the capital's Gulistan. He urged all developer organizations and their association REHAB to play their due role in destroying breeding grounds of mosquitoes. He said, "We have taken all necessary measures to tackle any outbreak of dengue disease . . . we will launch our drives from the beginning of next month to prevent the mosquito-borne disease." According to the action plan, the campaign to control dengue will be conducted from May and view exchange meetings will be held with all stakeholders, said Taposh. The main purpose of the meeting is to regularly keep all the buildings and residences under their control neat and clean. "All relevant organizations have to work in a coordinated manner to combat mosquito-borne diseases as the country witnessed a severe outbreak of dengue last year," he added. Taposh also inspected the post-renovation work of Bangabandhu Fountain at Gulistan Junction, inaugurated the existing pipe line and open drain cleaning program at Ward No. 20 and Ward No. 13 and inspected the ongoing waste removal program at Shyampur Canal.

The scorching heatwave not only leaves humans gasping for relief but also prompts a surge in snake bites, creating a pressing concern for both people and animals alike. Volunteers report a notable increase in daily calls for snakebite treatment this year compared to the previous year, attributing the trend to the relentless heat. According to Snake Rescue Team Bangladesh, a voluntary organisation dedicated to snake-related issues, the current intense heat poses a heightened risk of encountering snakes across the country. The organization urges caution during this period. Md Zubaidur Rahman, vice president of the organisation, told UNB that they have been tirelessly working for years to raise awareness about snake bites and undertake snake rescue operations. The organisation has been inundated with calls from families of snakebite victims and requests to rescue snakes from various parts of the country. "This year, we're receiving four to five emergency calls daily, a significant increase from last year," Zubaidur said. He emphasised that only those trained and certified under the Forest Department can engage in wildlife rescue operations. Dr M Monirul H Khan, Professor in the Department of Zoology at Jahangirnagar University, explained to UNB that snakes, being cold-blooded creatures, are more active in summer and less so in winter. "In Bangladesh, snakes remain active throughout the year, except for a few weeks in December-January," he added. Research conducted in the US revealed that snakebite rates increase by six percent with every 0.8 degrees Fahrenheit rise in temperature. "External temperature fluctuations directly impact the body temperature and behavior of snakes," the study noted.

Though power generation set a new record, there is no sign of decrease in power outages across the country.  Rather, the extent of load shedding increased by almost 50 percent compared with the previous day. The records at the National Load Dispatch Centre (NLDC) in the Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB) show that the country experienced about 1,500 MW of load shedding on Wednesday while it was 1049 M on Tuesday. The NLDC data also show that Wednesday started with 1,468 MW at 1 am. However, the level of power shortage decreased in the day time and it came down to 542 MW in the morning at 7 am.  But again the extent of load shedding took negative turn and increased to 821 MW at 3 pm on Wednesday.   Lynching of 2 youths: 4 platoons BGB deployed in two Faridpur upazilas Both the data of the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) and PGCB show that the country's evening peak generation was recorded at 14,473 at 5 pm against demand for 15,200 MW leaving a shortage of 694 MW. On the other hand, the demand forecast for Wednesday evening was 16,800 MW and supply forecast was 16,530 MW. According to official sources, maximum burden of the load shedding was diverted to rural areas, as part of a policy to avert power outages in capital Dhaka and other large cities. Reports from different areas said the extent of load shedding is aggravating the plight of the rural people amid the sweltering heat this summer. Meanwhile, state-owned Petrobangla’s official data shows that the country’s gas production was 3,056 million cubic feet per day (MMCFD) against a demand for 3,760 MW. Gas supply situation slightly improves, load shedding continues It shows that a good number of power plants, specifically those using gas as their primary fuel, remained off generation due to gas shortage. The power plants received a supply of 1330 MMCFD gas against their demand for 2316.9 MMCFD, the data shows.

Members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB-10) have arrested four people with Tk 60 crore worth of fake cobra snake venom, foreign firearms, and various tools used for fraud. They were arrested during a raid in Dhaka’s Hatirjhil area on Tuesday night. The arrestees are Enamul Haque (54), Safiqul Islam (54), Ershad Ali (36) and Syed Mohammad Ibrahim Khalilullah (34). During the raid, a private car was seized, along with a foreign pistol, a magazine, 6 rounds of ammunition, a toy pistol, 10 kg of fake snake venom, an album, 2 CDs Tk 36,235 in cash and 360 Indian rupees. Global Immunization Efforts: At least 154 million lives saved over past 50 years RAB claimed that the gang was involved with a international smuggler. MJ Sohel, Assistant Director (Media) of RAB-4, said on Wednesday afternoon that the fraudsters used a special type of glass container to store the fake snake venom. The labels on these containers have the names and codes of different countries. They collected the venom from different parts of the country and then smuggled it into Bangladesh from different foreign countries. They were cheating people and extorting millions of taka by selling it to various domestic and foreign pharmaceutical companies as well as smuggling it to neighbouring countries through fraud and smuggling. Various domestic and foreign pharmaceutical companies buy this snake venom for millions of taka. Because it costs many times more to legally bring this snake venom from outside the country. Buyers easily fall into the trap of fraudsters due to the low price, added the RAB official. RAB-10 initially confirmed through forensic experts at RAB headquarters that the snake venom kept in glass bottles is fake and does not have any characteristics of snake venom. Women should be made skilled in ICT sector: State Minister During interrogation, the arrestees told RAB that they collected the fake snake venom from different parts of the country. They then sold it fraudulently to people at Hatirjheel and other parts of the capital. In this way, the gang was embezzling money from various people. They have been handed over to the concerned police station for regular cases, the RAB official also said.

Four platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) were deployed to maintain law and order in Faridpur sadar and Madhukhali upazilas amid tension over lynching of two youths following  a fire in a temple in Dumain union. The authorities deployed four platoons of BGB at Baliakandi and Baghate Bazar under Faridpur Sadar and Madhukhali upazilas around 9 am, said Shariful Islam, public relations officer of the BGB. Along with the BGB, village police are stationed to avoid further trouble, he said, adding that the situation in the area is normal now. UK wants to help develop Bangladesh's aviation industry On Thursday afternoon, a fire broke out in the Barwari temple in Hindu-dominated Panchpalli village in Dumain union of Madhukhali upazila. Hindu residents became angry over the incident and they locked seven construction workers on suspicion of their involvement in the desecration of the idols. The workers were constructing a wash block at Panchapalli Government Primary School, 20 yards off the temple. On information, Madhukhali police and upazila administration officials rushed to the spot but the mob also confined them. Later with the help of Faridpur District Sadar and Rajbari District Police, the besieged people were rescued after a few hours. Seven workers were rescued with injuries and taken to Madhukhali Upazila Health Complex and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical College Hospital in Faridpur. Two of the injured succumbed to their injuries while undergoing treatment. The deceased were identified as Ashraful, 21, and his younger brother Ashadul, 15, sons of Shahjahan Khan of Ghoperghat village under Naowarpara union of the upazila. They were both construction workers. The death of the youths sparked huge protests in the area, leading to a clash with police on Tuesday. UNOPS signs MoU with Bangladesh to strengthen collaboration on disaster risk reduction Some members of the law enforcing agencies and villagers were injured in the clash that lasted for around three hours on Dhaka-Khulna highway but the exact number of the injured could not be ascertained.