Month: February 2022

Experts have suggested that the authorities control the use of motorcycles, blamed for causing the highest number of road traffic crashes and fatalities across the country.

According to the experts the two-wheeler bikes are at least 30 times more accident-prone compared with four-wheelers.

Many western countries and some Asian countries, particularly Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia have already started encouraging the use of bicycles replacing motorbikes to reduce accidents, they said.

But no serious attention is being paid to control motorbikes in Bangladesh. Rather the government’s fiscal policy promotes these two-wheeler vehicles, claimed the experts.

With the increase of motorbikes on the roads the number of fatal accidents is also rising, said the experts.

The casualties in motorcycle accidents doubled in the last two years, according to the 2021 report of Road Safety Foundation, an organisation that campaigns for safe roads.

In 2021, a total of 6,284 people were killed and 7,468 others were injured in 5,371 road accidents throughout the country.

Of them, 2,214 people (motorcyclists and pillion riders) were killed in 2,078 motorcycle accidents, which are 35.23 per cent of the total casualties and 38.68 per cent of all road accidents respectively.

But the total number of people who lost lives in motorcycle accidents was 1,462 in 2020 and 945 in 2019. Also the number of motorbike accidents was only 1,189 in 2019.

“According to science, two-wheeler vehicles are 30 times more accident-prone as compared to four-wheeler vehicles. It is well documented internationally. But the risk might be higher here in Bangladesh due to chaotic traffic and lack of safety measures,” said Prof Dr Md Shamsul Hoque, former director of the Accident Research Institute at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET).

Terming the motorbikes as a ‘curse’ on the road, he said the problem would be more severe in the coming days as the government’s fiscal policy promotes the risky vehicles instead of discouraging them.

“It’s time for our soul-searching and take steps to check motorbikes,” he said.

He said the two-wheelers have no balance and are very unstable, which causes accidents even due to speed breakers and small potholes. They face greater risks of being hit by large vehicles.

Its riders are mostly youths and teenagers who feel thrilled with speed and high-sound and love to ride recklessly, he said. Those who have fiancé and girlfriends prefer motorbikes with pillion seats inclined to the rider, he said.

Besides, motorcycle configuration and design are also attractive to youths, said Prof Hoque.

Since there is no shield for motorcyclists and pillion riders, they are killed, in many cases, by the second strike or run over by another vehicle on active roads, he said.

In many other countries, bicycles instead of motorbikes are promoted for the sake of the safety and healthy life as well as to prevent environmental pollution as two-wheelers are a major source of noise pollution, he said.

Another former ARI Director Prof Moazzem Hossain said the motorbike accidents are growing as these speedy vehicles, which are by-default accident-prone ones, are increasing in number, and simultaneously its riders are reckless in following traffic rules.

“Since the government could not ensure alternative reliable public transportation systems in the major cities, motorcycles are mushrooming in the country. A big policy mistake is here,” he said.

Prof Hossain suggested development of bicycle networks and lanes alongside developing planned public bus systems in the major cities and throughout the country. The government has financial capacity to introduce reliable and safe bus services here, he added.

General Secretary of National Committee to Protect Shipping, Roads and Railways Ashis Kumar Dey said, “Increasing motorbike accidents have emerged as a matter of deep concern in the country.”

He mentioned unskilled and untrained riders, reckless riding, young riders, providing passengers and goods services by motorcyclists, laxity in following and enforcing laws and traffic rules as major causes for growing motorbike accidents in the country.

According to Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), the number registered motorbikes are more than 35 lakh. Nearly nine lakh of the registered motorcycles operate in Dhaka city alone.

Source: United News of Bangladesh

Bangladesh logged 31 more Covid-related deaths with health authorities logging 13,154 fresh cases in 24 hours till Tuesday morning.

The daily positivity rate slightly declined to 29.17 per cent from Monday’s 29.77 per cent after testing 45,358 samples during the period, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

The fresh numbers took the country’s total fatalities to 28,425 while the caseload mounted to 1,811,987.

Among the new deceased, 15 were men and 16 women.

Nineteen deaths were reported in Dhaka division while seven in Chattogram, two in Sylhet, and one each in Rajshahi, Khulna and Rangpur divisions.

Meanwhile, the mortality rate further declined to 1.57 per cent.

However, the recovery rate also declined to 86.70 per cent with the recovery of 2,721 more patients during the 24-hour period.

Covid situation during January

In January, the country reported 322 covid-linked deaths and 2,13,294 new cases while 19,112 recovered from the disease, according to DGHS.

Among the 322 deaths during the period, 234 were unvaccinated patients while 18 received the first dose, 68 the second dose and 2 the third dose.

On January 28, Bangladesh logged its earlier highest daily positivity rate at 33.37% reporting 15,440 cases and 20 deaths.

Bangladesh’s total tally of Omicron cases reached 69 with the detection of five more cases till January 23, according to GISAID, a global initiative on sharing all influenza data.

Another two stormy weeks ahead

As the community transmission of Covid-19 fueled by the highly virulent Omicron variant is going on in full swing across the country, public health experts warned that the uptrend in the virus infection may continue for two more weeks.

They also said the Covid positivity rate may hit a plateau in mid-February before a steep decline toward the end of February.

On December 9 last year, Bangladesh again logged zero Covid-related death after nearly three weeks as the pandemic was apparently showing signs of easing.

The country reported this year’s first zero Covid-related death in a single day on November 20 last year along with 178 infections since the pandemic broke out in Bangladesh in March 2020.

Besides, the country registered the highest daily caseload of 16,230 on July 28 last year, while the highest number of daily fatalities was 264 on August 10 last year.

Source: United News of Bangladesh

A former junior community medical officer was killed after being allegedly hit by a speeding bike while crossing a busy road in Barishal city on Monday night.

The deceased was identified as Shishir Ranjan Baishnab, a resident of the BM College Road area in the city. He retired as a deputy assistant community medical officer.

The accident occurred near a temple in the the BM College Road area.

Eyewitness said that Shishir suffered serious injuries in the head after he was hit by the bike while crossing the road. He was rushed to Barishal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital, where he died of his injuries.

Ajimul Karim, officer-in-charge of Kotwali model police station, said that a case of unnatural death has been lodged in connection with the death. “The body was handed over to the victim’s family after an autopsy,” he added.

Source: United News of Bangladesh

BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia is going to return home this (Tuesday) evening from the capital’s Evercare Hospital after a long treatment for her various health complications.

“Doctors have decided to discharge Madam (Khaleda) from the hospital this evening,” her media wing member Sayrul Kabir Khan told UNB.

He said Khaleda will leave the hospital for her Gulshan residence around 6pm.

Sayrul said the medical board, formed to ensure Khaleda’s treatment, will hold a press conference on her health condition at the hospital at 6pm.

Khaleda, a 76-year-old former prime minister, has been receiving treatment at Evercare Hospital for various health complications since November 13.

Her medical board members said Khaleda immediately needs to go abroad for better treatment as she was diagnosed with liver cirrhosis.

On behalf of her family, Khaleda’s younger brother, Shamim Iskander, submitted an application to the Home Ministry on November 11 urging the government to allow her to go abroad for better treatment.

The government still did not dispose of the application while ministers are saying the BNP chief has no scope to go abroad until she files a fresh application returning to jail.

Source: United News of Bangladesh

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Monday he has tested positive for COVID-19 but is “feeling fine” and will continue to work remotely from home.

Trudeau said two of his children have COVID-19 and a test Monday revealed he has been infected as well.

The prime minister, who has received two vaccine shots and a booster shot, used a televised virtual news conference to denounce anti-vaccine protesters who filled Canada’s capital to complain about COVID restrictions.

“Canadians were shocked and quite frankly disgusted by the behavior displayed by some people in our nation’s capital,” Trudeau said. “I want to be clear. We are not intimated by those who hurl insults and abuse at small businesses and steal from the homeless. We won’t give in those who fly racist flags. We won’t cave to those who engage in vandalism or dishonor the memory of our veterans.”

Some demonstrators travelled in truck convoys and parked on the streets around Parliament Hill, blocking traffic — and a smaller but significant number remained on Monday.

Many Canadians were outraged by images over the weekend of some protesters urinating on the National War Memorial and dancing on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, while a number carried signs and flags with swastikas.

Many refused to wear masks in hotels, malls and grocery stores and one homeless shelter reported protesters had demanded it feed them.

Canada has one of the world’s highest rates of vaccination against the coronavirus — shots that are primarily designed to keep those who become infected from falling seriously ill.

Protest organizers have called for the elimination of all COVID-19 restrictions and vaccine mandates and for the removal of Trudeau, though he is responsible for very few of the restrictions, most of which were put in place by provincial governments.

The Ottawa police department has said it is investigating possible criminal charges over some actions during the protests.

“To those responsible for this behavior, it needs to stop. To anyone who joined the convoy but is rightly uncomfortable with the symbol of hatred and division on display, join with your fellow Canadians, be courageous and speak out. Do not stand for or with intolerance and hate,” Trudeau said.

Some were protesting a rule that took effect Jan. 15 requiring truckers entering Canada to be fully immunized against the coronavirus. The United States has imposed the same requirement on truckers entering that country so Canada removing it would make little difference.

Some opposition Conservative lawmakers served coffee to the protesters and Conservative party leader Erin O’Toole met with some protesting truckers. The demonstration also attracted support from former U.S. President Donald Trump.

Source: United News of Bangladesh

The overall number of Covid cases has surpassed 377 million as Omicron infections keep rising across the globe.

According to Johns Hopkins University (JHU), the total case count mounted to 377,870,012 while the death toll from the virus reached 5,672,065 Tuesday morning.

The US has recorded 74,928,013 cases so far and 886,627 people have died from the virus in the country, the university data shows.

India’s Covid-19 tally rose to 41,466,711 on Monday, as 209,918 new cases were registered in 24 hours across the country, as per the federal health ministry data.

Besides, as many as 940 deaths were recorded since Sunday morning, taking the toll to 496,268.

Meanwhile, Brazil, which has been experiencing a new wave of cases since last January, registered 25,454,105 cases as of Sunday, while its Covid death toll rose to 627,365.

Situation in Bangladesh

Bangladesh logged 31 more Covid-related deaths, with 13,501 fresh cases in 24 hours till Monday morning.

The daily positivity rate rose again to 29.77% from Sunday’s 28.33% after testing 45,358 samples during the period, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

On Sunday, Bangladesh saw its highest fatalities in the past four months — 34 deaths with 12,183 fresh cases.

The country last reported 31 Covid-related deaths on September 28 last year, with 1,310 cases, taking the positivity rate to 4.49%.

On Friday, Bangladesh logged its earlier highest daily positivity rate at 33.37% reporting 15,440 cases and 20 deaths.

The fresh numbers took the country’s total fatalities to 28,394 while the caseload mounted to 1,798,833.

Of the 140 deaths recorded from January 24 to January 30, some 22.1% received Covid vaccines while 77.9% did not, the DGHS said.

Among the new deceased, 20 were men and 11 women.

Sixteen deaths were reported in Dhaka division while five in Khulna, three each in Rangpur and Mymensingh, two in Chattogram, and one each in Rajshahi, and Sylhet divisions.

Meanwhile, the mortality rate further declined to 1.58%.

However, the recovery rate also declined to 87.18% with the recovery of 2,568 more patients during the 24-hour period.

Omicron Cases

Bangladesh’s total tally of Omicron cases reached 69 with the detection of five more cases till January 23, according to GISAID, a global initiative on sharing all influenza data.

On December 9 last year, Bangladesh again logged zero Covid-related death after nearly three weeks as the pandemic was apparently showing signs of easing.

The country reported this year’s first zero Covid-related death in a single day on November 20 last year, along with 178 infections, since the pandemic broke out in Bangladesh in March 2020.

Besides, the country registered the highest daily caseload of 16,230 on July 28 last year, while the highest number of daily fatalities was 264 on August 10 last year.

Source: United News of Bangladesh

At least 29 people were killed and over 500 injured in January last during clashes centering the fifth and sixth phases of Union Parishad elections across the country.

Manabadhikar Shangskriti Foundation (MSF) revealed the data after collecting information about 109 reported incidents of election-linked violence from different media.

According to the MSF, the violence during the Upazila and Union Parishad elections this year broke all the previous records.

Of the deceased, one was shot dead by his rival group while four others by members of law enforcement agencies, the MSF report says.

The highest number of seven people died in Bagura district while five in Jhenidah, three in Chandpur and two in Narsingdi districts.

On January 5, police fired 25 gunshots as the supporters of a chairman candidate vandalised a centre and attacked law enforcers, administrative officers over the announcement of resuts in Gabtoli upazila, Bagura.

Four people, including a woman, died during the clash while five others suffered serious wounds, said the report.

A 50-year-old woman, Sumela Khatun, died after suffering a cardiac arrest at a voting centre in Doulatpur upazila of Manikganj during a chase and counter-chase between the supporters of two member candidates on the same day.

On January 12, a 30-year-old man, Anwarul Islam, was killed reportedly by a newly elected UP member over the election at Kaliganj upazila in Lalmonirhat.

According to the MSF findings, the deaths from election-related violence stood at 92 and the number of injured were more than 4,000 as of December 31, 2021.

Source: United News of Bangladesh

The coldest upazila in Bangladesh’s northernmost district of Panchagarh is living up to its reputation this winter.

For the fourth day in a row, Tetulia upazila recorded the lowest minimum temperature in the country — at 7.1 degrees Celsius — on Tuesday morning.

On Monday, the lowest temperature in the upazila was recorded at 6 degrees Celsius.

Meanwhile, a mild cold wave is sweeping over Rangpur division and the districts of Noagaon and Moulvibazar, and it may abate from some places, the Bangladesh Meteorological Department has predicted.

In the forecast for the next 24 hours, the department said that night temperature may rise by 1 to 2 degrees over the southern part and it may rise slightly elsewhere over the country. Day temperature may rise slightly.

The forecast showed the likelihood of light rain at one or two places over Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram and Sylhet divisions.

“Weather may remain mainly dry with temporary partly cloudy sky elsewhere over the country. Moderate to thick fog may occur at places over the river basins and the northwestern part, and light to moderate fog may occur elsewhere over the country during midnight to morning,” it said.

Im Panchagarh district, people belonging to the economically weaker section, especially the daily wagers, are the worst sufferers. Many of them have no proper warm clothes to wear.

Dr Sirajoddoula Polin, resident medical officer of Panchagarh Sadar Hospital, said the facility is overwhelmed with patients with cold-related diseases.

Md Shaha Alam Mia, additional deputy director of the Agriculture Extension Department, said, “Farmers have been asked to cover seedbeds with polythene sheets to protect the same from thick fog. “

Source: United News of Bangladesh

The RIBA International Prize 2021 is given to a hospital in Bangladesh’s Satkhira district for being the world’s greatest new structure. The Friendship hospital is a paradigm of climate-conscious architecture created with the lowest minimum of resources. It triumphed over competition from a David Chipperfield-designed museum in Berlin and a Wilkinson Eyre-designed cycling and footbridge in Denmark.

The RIBA International Prize 2021 winner drew inspiration from water. The canal winds across the property, gathering important rainfall and aiding in the cooling of the adjacent courtyards during the scorching summer months. It acts as a hurdle between the inpatient and outpatient sections, segregating the two halves of the site without the need for a dividing wall.

Conceptual and Designing Aspects

When Cyclone Sidr struck the nation in 2007, causing an ever-changing terrain due to increasing water levels, the narrative for this corner of the globe shifted dramatically. Due to constant climate change, seawater has infiltrated the interior, causing all adjacent agricultural lands to be turned into shrimp production ponds.

The land around the Friendship hospital was once covered with grain fields. The surrounding settlement was also precarious, consisting mostly of low-rise buildings and thatch homes. Recognizing the limits, the Bangladeshi architect designed a somewhat linear plan with interconnecting courtyards and covered pathways to divide the inpatient and outpatient zones. When it came to establishing access control between these locations, he created a rainwater collection canal that crisscrossed the site’s center.

This feature operates in a variety of ways. On a functional level, the captured water assists in microclimate cooling and provides a vital resource in a location where salty water is useless for the majority of functions. On an aesthetic level, the property’s constant presence of water animates the inside environment and imparts a feeling of visual continuity.

A Project of Collaboration

“Water pervades this space,” explains architect Kashef Chowdhury, head of Urbana, the Dhaka-based firm that designed the building. “However, it is not necessarily of the beneficial kind.” Rising sea levels as a result of the climate catastrophe have changed the surrounding landscape of grain fields into shrimp fishery, while the groundwater has become too salty for most uses.

Locals make every effort to gather and save every last drop of freshwater during the rainy season. Chowdhury has built the building as a rainwater harvesting machine, with every roof and courtyard surface emptying into the central canal, which connects to two storage tanks at the site’s ends.

It is the organization’s first “land hospital,” since Chowdhury previously assisted in converting many boats into floating hospitals to serve rural villages in the delta area. Built on the lowest budget of just under $2 million, its first permanent structure serves as a lifeline for thousands of people in a region devastated by a destructive hurricane in 2007.

A Mesmerizing Building with Unique Perks

The Grand Jury for the coveted prize, which included prominent people such as Es Devlin, Jeanne Gang, Rossana Hu, and Gustavo Strabo, as well as Decq, thought it pleasant to see a hospital with such a kind and natural touch. “The Friendship Hospital is particularly timely at this point in history since it tackles the global problem of uneven access to healthcare,” an official press statement noted, adding that the winning project was also named the world’s greatest new building.

“It is an example of how a beautiful building can be accomplished via strong design even when dealing with a limited budget and constrained contextual conditions. This hospital is a celebration of a human-centered structure.”

Architect Kashef Chowdhary, whose practice is rooted in history and places a premium on climate, materials, and context, discusses winning the award, “In a sublimely significant moment, the RIBA and the jurors have identified a project from the global periphery to elevate to the center of architectural discourse and become the subject of one of the most prestigious global awards.” I am pleased that this may motivate more of us to commit to an architecture of care for mankind and the environment, not in spite of, but precisely because of, resource and means constraints, in order to jointly address the global urges we confront; today.”

Cultural Acceptability

Rainwater collecting is a widely acknowledged method of augmenting freshwater supplies in southern Bangladesh. While rainwater collected from ground catchments has a low bacteriological quality, rainwater collected from well-maintained rooftop catchment systems fitted with tight storages and taps is typically good for consumption and often satisfies WHO drinking water criteria. This water is of greater quality than that available in the majority of the world’s conventional water sources.

Rooftop rainwater collection may produce excellent quality water that is safe to drink if the rooftop is clean, impermeable, constructed of non-toxic materials, and is positioned away from overhanging trees.

Sustainability

Rainwater collection is one of the most promising options for meeting rising water shortages and demand. The strain on water resources, the increasing environmental effect of huge projects, and worsening water quality all limit the capacity of conventional sources to supply the demand for freshwater. Rainwater collection enables the supplementation of water sources while also promoting self-sufficiency and sustainability.

Conclusion

Rainwater harvesting effectiveness is determined by the materials used, the design and construction, the maintenance, and the overall quantity of rainfall. The runoff coefficient, which is the proportion of precipitation that occurs as runoff, is a frequently cited efficiency measure of 0.8. By contrast, when cement tiles are utilized as a roofing material, the year-round runoff coefficient is around 75%, but clay tiles often collect less than 50%, depending on the harvesting mechanism employed. Plastic and metal sheets perform the best, with an efficiency of 80–90%. A well-designed and meticulously built gutter system are also critical for the proper functioning of a rainwater harvesting system. If the gutter and down-pipe system are installed and maintained correctly, 90% or more of the rainwater collected on the roof will be discharged to the storage tank.

Source: United News of Bangladesh

A delegation of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) paid a courtesy visit to Brigadier General Md Nazmul Haque, director of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), Monday.

They discussed how the BGMEA and DMCH can collaborate to ensure that garment workers and employees get healthcare services on a priority basis.

BGMEA President Faruque Hassan said the apex body of the apparel industry places utmost importance on ensuring healthcare facilities for the apparel workers.

The BGMEA runs 12 health centres that provide healthcare facilities and medicines to more than 60,000 garment workers per year free of cost.

The centres also conduct awareness programmes on HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, reproductive health and the use of contraceptives. Also, for the apparel workers, a full-fledged hospital is operational in Chattogram, Faruque said.

BGMEA vice-presidents Shahidullah Azim, Md Nasir Uddin; Assistant Director of DMCH Dr Md Ashraful Alam, and Associate Professor at DMCH Dr Md Imdadul Haque were present at the meeting.

Source: United News of Bangladesh