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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Flood in dry season
A sluice gate built by Water Development Board (WDB) six month ago at the mouth of Barabhetkhali canal in Mirgang river for draining out water has now turned into a bane for local people. At least 18 villages in Munshiganj and Romjannagar unions in Shyamnagar upazila were flooded yesterday as water entered the areas from Mirgang river through holes created in the embankment of the sluice gate. The water is not receding as the sluice gate is inoperative, locals said. WDB constructed the sluice gate at a cost of Tk 75 lakh
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Time to rethink food security
Editorial THE statement made by the head of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) last week that the global food crisis could lead to civil war in some countries and requires a complete revamping of the international food system is both timely and welcome.
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Chevron Survey at Lawachhara
Leaders of Paribesh Bachao Andolan (PBA) (Save Environment Movement) yesterday called for an immediate halt to ongoing 3D seismic survey of Chevron Bangladesh at Lawachhara National Forest in Moulvibazar to save the bio-diversity of the forest and lives of local people. They also demanded exemplary punishment to those who gave the permission to conduct the seismic survey at Lawachhra, a reserve forest, violating the existing rules of the country. The demands came at a press conference organised by PBA at its office in the capital.
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Water Crisis In Sylhet City
An end to water crisis in Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) areas seems faraway as little progress has been made four years after taking of a project to solve the crisis. The demand of water has risen manifold with formation of the city corporation that has got a larger area and population but the authorities can meet highest 30 to 40 per cent of the requirement -- 5 crore litre water daily, SCC Secretary Harun Ur Rashid Molla said.
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UN chief to announce plan to eliminate malaria deaths
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will announce a new global initiative on Friday to eliminate more than one million deaths every year caused by malaria as quickly as possible. In his video message for a World Malaria Day event at UN headquarters, Ban said the initiative will offer indoor spraying and bed nets treated with long-lasting insecticide "to all people at risk, especially women and children in Africa" by the end of 2010. The video was obtained Thursday by The Associated Press.
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Saline price spikes on diarrhoea spurt
Short supply and price rise of oral rehydration saline while diarrhoea is spreading over the last few days have added to sufferings of people attacked with the disease. Oral saline of Social Marketing Company (SMC), which produces about 60 percent of the country's requirement, as well as those of around 15 other companies are now selling at higher prices. And SMC'S saline is also not available in some areas, a field visit showed.
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Face global food crisis unitedly
Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus has said the international community should be united to face global food crisis, otherwise the development targets of the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) would be hampered severely. "Due to abnormal price hike of oil an unstable situation has occurred across the world. The situation has aggravated further due to global food crisis, climate change and fall of the Dollar. If the international community does not unite to face the problem then the MDG would be hampered,' he said.
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CNG price doubled
Govt to announce hiked gas-run vehicle fares soon Frequent power cuts disrupt operations of a CNG filling station at the city's Moghbazar intersection yesterday. The queue of vehicles, however, stretched up to Ladies' Club on Eskaton Garden Road. Photo: STAR Ending a four-year hiatus, the government has almost doubled the price of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). Raised to Tk 16.75 from Tk 8.5 a cubic metre, the new rate takes effect today.
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60,000 affected a yr
The 1st World Malaria Day will be observed in the country today as elsewhere across the globe to create awareness among people about the preventable disease that affects around 60,000 people every year in Bangladesh, while more than 500 patients die due to the disease. The outbreak of malaria borne by female Anopheles mosquito in the country is highest at 70 upazilas of 13 districts including Cox's Bazar, Bandarban, Rangamati, Khagrachhari, Mymensingh, Sherpur and Kurigram. Sources said malaria kills around 10 lakh people every year in the world.
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Bangladesh deserves foreign funds
RECENTLY, an advertisement showed how super-models are trying to promote an eco-friendly lifestyle through their outfits made with materials that are less polluting, less harmful to the environment and the earth, which, in other words, is called a green method of living. Comparing black, a trendy colour for evening parties, with this green way of resource utilisation is not only interesting but also reflects the fact that global environmental issues -- climate change to be precise -- have caught the attention of everyone. The problem