Climate change impacts in Bangladesh
With the Himalayas to the north and the Bay of Bengal to the south, Bangladesh sits on one of the world’s largest and most densely populated deltas, where the Jamuna, Padma and Meghna rivers converge.
Bangladesh
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'Ensure farmers' rights for dev'
Shykh Seraj speaks at a press conference at Channel i office in the city yesterday. On his left is Faridur Reza Sagor. About 25 years ago when the people of southern region especially the district of Bagerhat were enduring hardship, only one man's initiative changed the socio-economic scenario of the whole area. Syed Keramat Ali, a shrimp cultivator of Faltita at Mollarhat under Fakirhat upazila of Bagerhat district, brought the changes in people's lives by starting shrimp cultivation in 1978.
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International confce on lung diseases begins today
A two-day international conference on lung diseases begins at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in Dhaka today. Bangladesh Lung Foundation organises the conference with the aim to introduce latest treatment facilities to the physicians and initiate an interaction between renowned pulmologists with young ones. Pulmologists from USA, Europe, Australia and Asia will present their research papers in the conference, said the organisers at a news conference at a city hotel on Tuesday.
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Steps taken to save Hakaluki fowls from bird flu
The district administration has taken steps to prevent spread of Avian Influenza (bird flue) among migratory birds in Hakaluki haor. Samples taken from different species of birds in the Haor have been tested but no germ of the disease was found, sources said. Entry of fowls into the district from other districts have been restricted and spraying of anti-septic medicines on vehicles carrying fowls and eggs within the district has been made compulsory. The measures were taken after bird flue virus was detected in a poultry farm at Kulaura last month.
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ADB opens rail project in Cambodia
The Asian Development Bank Monday launched a multi-million dollars project to restore Cambodia's devastated railways in a key step towards the creation of a regional rail system. Approximately 600 kilometres of track destroyed during Cambodia's protracted civil war will be rebuilt at a cost of 42 million dollars, the ADB said.
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More chickens culled in capital
Culling of about 1.50 lakh chickens at Omega Poultry Farm in the city's Badda area continued for the second consecutive day on Sunday. The avian influenza virus was detected at the poultry farm on Friday and the livestock department started culling the chickens of the farm on Saturday. Dhaka district livestock officer Sheikh Saidur Rahman told New Age on Sunday that they culled 95,048 chickens of the farm till 7:00pm, and would kill 54,000 more chickens.
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Farms in bird flu peril
The country's poultry industry continues to be in grave peril with sales already halved due to panic among consumers in the wake of recent bird flu outbreaks, operators said. Many restaurants have already taken chicken off their menus while home consumption too has slumped. "We are going broke. We are selling chicks to poultry farmers at a token price to minimise our losses,' said Shah Habibul Haque, director of Aftab Bahumukhi Farm Ltd, a leading poultry hatchery. He claims their business has incurred on average a loss of Tk 2 crore every month since November last year. "Things look even grimmer for small farm owners. They are losing their capital,' he said adding that currently they charge only Tk 7-8 for a day-old chick, about one third of production cost at Tk 22. The avian influenza, which broke out in Bangladesh early last year, has now reached epidemic proportions sweeping across the poultry industry that accounts for over 1.6 percent of GDP. According to official data, the government has detected bird flu virus in 152 farms in 43 districts and culled 6.42 lakh fowls as of February 16. Operators report a loss of nearly Tk 5,000 crore because of plummeting sales coupled with a steady rise in the prices of poultry feeds. "At a rough estimate, we have made a loss of nearly Tk 5,000 crore,' said Moshiur Rahman, convener of Poultry Industries Co-ordination Committee. Industry sources said thousands of farms have been forced to shut down in a year due to bird flu outbreaks and hike in prices of feed ingredients. Around half a crore people are directly or indirectly employed in the industry involving 1.5 lakh farms. "Our sales have dropped drastically,' said Delwar Hossain, owner of Janata Poultry at the Kaptan Bazar, one of the biggest wholesale-cum-retail markets for poultry products in the capital. He said daily sales in his wholesale store hovered around Tk 1.50 lakh in January. "Now I struggle to have sales of Tk 25,000 a day,' he said. Khokon Mia, a retailer at Kaptan Bazar, said the sales at his shop have dropped 58 percent on point to point basis. In retail outlets, chickens sell at Tk 65-70 a kg, whereas only a month ago they would cost Tk 80-85 a kg. "I sold Tk 67,300 worth of poultry on January 16, but in a month, it dropped to Tk 28,000. We are going through a terrible time. People have incredibly cut down on their poultry intake,' said Khokon who also supplies live chickens and eggs to a number of city restaurants. Restaurants and party centres are having their share of troubles with chicken consumption taking a nosedive. "The consumption has fallen by around 50 percent amid bird flu scare,' said Ali Akbar Badal, general manager of XINXIAN, a Chinese restaurant at Kalabagan. Star Kabab's Karwan Bazar branch Manager Mohammad Shahin said their restaurant too has seen a sharp drop in consumption of chickens and eggs. "It's a serious crisis as the plunging demand for poultry pushes the farmers and hatcheries to huge losses,' said head of Brac Poultry MA Saleque, who believes overall consumption has been slashed by half.
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30 injured as two groups clash over irrigation in Habiganj
AT LEAST 30 people were injured in a fierce clash between two rival groups at village Shibpasha under Ajmiriganj upazila in Habiganj on Saturday morning. Quoting locals, the police said an altercation ensued between the supporters of former UP chairman Motahar Hossain and Taskir Mia at about 10:00am over irrigating a cropland. At one stage both groups equipped with lethal weapons and sticks attacked each other, leaving 30 people from both sides injured. On information, the police went to the spot and brought the situation under control. They also recovered two firearms from the scene but none was arrested Of the injured Khalek, Abdul Nur, Sabaj Mia, Jewel, Amirul and Angur Mia were admitted to Habiganj General Hospital while others were released after first aid.A case was filed. Another report from Sirajganj said: Seven persons were injured in a clash between sadar hospital staff and some relatives of a patient Saturday morning. The police said some staff members of the hospital locked into an altercation with the relatives of patient Kajoli Parvin over her treatment. Later, at one stage they attacked each other, leaving seven persons from both sides injured. The police later brought the situation under control. The lawmen also picked up Faruk and Harun, relatives of Kajoli from the spot.
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95,000 fowls culled in Badda farm
Livestock officials culled 95,000 chickens at the bird flu-infected poultry farm at city's Uttar Badda as the culling continued for the second consecutive day yesterday. The government, meantime, decided to set up 16 more laboratories in the country next month for testing and identifying bird flu viruses as more and more areas are coming under avian influenza infestation.
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Make concerted efforts to face climate change, disasters: experts
Environmental experts on Sunday emphasised the need for taking concerted measures against the adverse effects of climate change and other ecological disasters for protecting the people as well as for ensuring sustainable development.
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Humans spared
Human infections of bird flu have been entirely avian in origin and reflect strains circulating locally among poultry and wild birds.