Unplanned embankment poses threat to river
The ongoing construction of an embankment on the Sandhya river in Barishal has sparked outrage among locals who believe the structure will damage the river crucial to their livelihoods. Locals in Banaripara
Daily Star (Bangladesh)
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Auction flaws led to Tk 80cr food spoilage
Imported perishable foods worth over a staggering Tk 80 crore were spoiled or exceeded expiration date for consumption in the last fourteen months due to inefficient auctioning mechanism of unclaimed containers at Chittagong Port. The huge quantity of food items had to be disposed of at a time when a huge segment of the populace is trying to cope with galloping food prices.
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Jum cultivation in Bagaihat Reserve Forest defying law
Burning up trees for jum cultivation threatens environment and ecology in Bagaihat Reserve Forest. The photo was taken from Machalong. At lest 20,000 acres of Bagaihat Reserve Forest in Bagaichhari upazila in Rangamati have been brought under jum cultivating in the current season by ethnic farmers, defying forest laws. The government is loosing a huge amount of revenue and at least 120 types of wildlife including birds have lost their habitats, environmentalists and locals said.
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RMG workers suffer health hazards for use of synthetic materials in factories
Speakers at a roundtable yesterday said ready-made garment (RMG) workers are subjected to a variety of physical, chemical and biological hazards due to use of natural and synthetic materials in the factories. Wage discrimination, long working hours, unhygienic environment, lack of water and sanitation facilities and inadequate rest and sleeping time are causing malnutrition and many other health problems to garment workers, they added.
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Bagaihat Reserve Forest in Rangamati being gobbled up
Over 10,000 acres grabbed by 25,000 families from other areas: Numerous trees stolen by loggers Jasim Majumder, back from Bagaihat, Rangamati A scene from fast depleting Baghaichhari Reserve Forest in Rangamati, where outsiders often clear off trees to set up dwelling houses. Photo: STAR Bagaihat Reserve Forest in Rangamati is threaten with extinction due to grabbing and illegal felling of trees by loggers and timber traders.
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Facing a global food crisis (Editorial)
The call by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon for a top-level task force to address the issue of the spiraling cost of food worldwide is precisely the kind of co-ordinated global action that is necessary at this precarious moment in history, and could not have come at a better time. The secretary general's other suggestions, that the World Food Programme needs to be fully funded, that key producer nations should not ban exports, and that bio-fuels need to be reconsidered in light of the current crisis, are also all well taken.
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Enhancing forest cover to combat climate change and biodiversity loss
It is common knowledge in Bangladesh that our forests have been decimated in recent decades. Less apparent than the loss of forests is the loss of other goods and services that forests provide particularly to the neighbouring poor people whose well being and livelihoods depend on these forests.
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Becoming an Asian tiger
Quite often we refer to certain countries in Southeast Asia as 'emerging tigers'. Their economies and their progressive economic development are analysed and extolled for their performance. Such an approach also draws our attention not only to the manner in which such countries identified the weaknesses within their development paradigm but also how such measures to overcome challenges subsequently facilitated foreign direct investment.
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CNG Conversion Rate Picks Up
Vehicles queue up at a CNG filling station near Sheraton Hotel. This often causes traffic jams on the capital's busy Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue. The CNG refuelling stations in the capital are struggling to cope with the ever-increasing demand for the fuel as conversion of petroleum-run vehicles continues at a very high pace. On average, about 2,000 vehicles are being converted into CNG-run ones every month, and about 92,135 vehicles were converted in 116 conversion workshops across the country until March this year.
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Take swift decision on coal mining, gas exploration
The business people in the port city on Wednesday urged the government to be aggressive in taking decision on coal mining and gas exploration to help rapid industrialisation and accelerate economic growth. Addressing a reception accorded to the newly elected office bearers of Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FBCCI), they also expressed their continued support for sustaining the business-friendly atmosphere the country achieved after January 11, 2007.
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Call for dredging rivers to save waterways
Shipbuilders', Launch Owners' and Cargo Vessel Owners' Association yesterday urged the government to take immediate steps for dredging rivers to save the waterway transportation. The three water sector organisations that represent about 2,000 inland and coasting ships also demanded the government for zero tax facility in importing heavy capital machinery to let the ship making industry flourished. They warned that plying of water vehicles would be stopped if the government does take urgent steps to dredge riverbeds.