The New Nation - Internet Edition

Two crore kidney patients in country Most of them die without treatment: Experts

Staff Reporter

Nearly 20 million kidney patients living in Bangladesh and lacking treatment, experts said yesterday. They said the kidney patients' dies without treatment due to absence of a high quality hospital.

The experts said this at a press conference on the occasion of inauguration of 'Kidney Foundation Lottery 2008'at Dhaka Club.

National Professor Dr M R Khan informed newsmen that a 200 bed international standard hospital will be set up in Mirpur which will contain a 40 beds dialysis unit.

The hospital will cost Tk 17 crore. He also said the rate of chronic patients increased by 50 per cent during the last 10 years and reached to 18 out of hundred. It will reach to 28-30 within next 10 years if the rate continues. He said only 5 per cent of the kidney patients have ability to get treatment for their own and 80 per cent dies without treatment.

Setting up of such modern hospital will help the poor patients to get treatment, he said. Kidney disease specialist Prof Harun Ar Rashid said kidney patients are the most neglected in the country. To give treatment the poor patients the Kidney Foundation is setting up the hospital.

Journalist Ataus Samad and Showkat Mahmud, Educationist Prof Nurul Islam, Dhaka Club president Sadat Hosen Selim, CEO of Sonali Bank S A Chowdhury also spoke on the occasion.

Dhaka International Education Fair begins

Staff Reporter

The four day-long 2nd Dhaka International Education Fair 2008 began at Bashundhara city in the city yesterday.

Eminent Novelist Imdadul Haque Milon inaugurated the fair organised by Extreme Exhibition and Event Solution Ltd (E3 Solutions), which will go on at Bashundhara Expo Centre (level-7) till April 06.

Exhibitors from about 50 related organisations are participating with new offers and facilities in this exhibition based on national and international universities, agencies of overseas education, immigration institutions and related services.

Imdadul Haque Milon said now many brilliant students are not getting chance to study in the country's renowned higher educational institutions including Dhaka University. Criticising the political interruptions in the country's educational institutions, Milon said the present lower standard of the education arose due to political intervention and student politics.

Now many Bangladeshi students abroad are making good result and building their career there, he added.

Chairman of E3 Solutions AZM Fazle Rabbi Khan said the fair is a platform for obtaining all kind of information on higher education (especially abroad), immigration, foreign language courses and other concerned matters.

He said many educational institutions from abroad including England, Australia, Thailand and Malaysia will take part in the exhibition.

Managing Director of E3 Solutions Rezaul Karim also addressed the inaugural session of the fair.

Developed countries urged to help cope with food price hike

UNB, New York

Foreign Adviser Dr Iftekhar Ahmed on Wednesday urged the surplus developed countries to do more to rein in the rising food price.

"In many LDCs where poor households spend nearly 70 percent of their income on food items, a sharp increase in food price has a strong adverse effect on the incidence of poverty and human development," the Foreign Adviser said.

He demanded that the developed countries must increase food aid to avert humanitarian crisis in many LDCs.

He was speaking on behalf of the 50 Least Developed Countries at the UN Thematic Debate on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) at the UN headquarters here.

A large number of ministers and senior officials are attending the two-day thematic debate organised by the President of the General Assembly. The Foreign Adviser said that global warming and climate change were also adversely affecting the achievement of the MDGs by many LDCs. "The increased risk of floods and droughts caused by climate change will lead to huge losses in agricultural production, which will further impede MDGs achievement," he added. The Adviser said, "the post-2012 agreement must not stifle development potentials of the LDCs. We must ensure that their development is sustainable and environment-friendly. We strongly feel that like the Adaptation Board, there should also be a Technology-transfer Board."

He further stressed that the developed countries and the developing countries in a position to do so must grant meaningful duty-free and quota-free market access to all products from all LDCs, unilaterally and without discrimination.

"This should be done by the end of 2008, pending the conclusion of the Doha Development Round," Dr Chowdhury added.

Knowing Bangladesh better: A composite competition

Staff Reporter

An agreement signing ceremony between The Daily Star and the Standard Chartered Bank was held at a city hotel yesterday to conduct "Celebrating Life" a composite competition that will bring films, photography and lyrics contests on the same platform for the first time in Bangladesh.

The film contest is a short documentary and Fiction film competition based on the theme "Knowing Bangladesh better". The competitors are allowed to choose to depict any aspect of Bangladesh: nature, culture, lifestyle, commerce, politics and so on. The best two films will be awarded Tk100, 000 each. The photography contest is titled, 'Bangladesh-My Love' which invites photographs taken anywhere in Bangladesh except Dhaka. The Winner will receive Tk 25,000; the 1st runners up will receive Tk20, 000 and the 2nd runners up will receive Tk15, 000.

The lyrics contest is titled 'Bangladesh -My love' and envisions motivating young lyricist and poets to write patriotic songs. The competitor can submit Songs in both Bengali and English. Best twelve winners, six for Bengali and six for English, will be awarded Tk10, 000 each.

Mahafuz Anam, Editor of The Daily Star, said, the initiative is a great step in encouraging new talent of Bangladesh, since a contest of such nature in the media field has never been organised before.

Osman Murad, Chief Executive officer of Standard Chartered Bank, said, " we are proud to be partner with the Daily Star in taking responsibility as a corporate citizen to contribute towards such development."

he bank will sponsor Tk. 168 lakh for next three years to conduct the programme.

Shah masud Imam, Regional Head of corporate affairs (south Asia) of Standard Chartered Bank, Farid Reza Sagor, Managing Director of Channel I, Film Director Tarek Masud, Lyricist Mohammad Rafiquzzaman, among others, were present at the agreement signing ceremony.

Tainted fruit blamed for Nipah outbreak in Bangladesh

Staff Reporter

The people, who fell sick in different areas of the country with the new and dangerous Nipah virus in recent years probably caught it from eating contaminated fruit or from contact with infected domestic animals, scientists said in the capital yesterday.

There have been nine Nipah outbreaks in Bangladesh since 2001, resulting in the deaths of between 40 and 100 per cent of infected people, said Jahangir Hossain, of the International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research in Bangladesh (ICDDRB), popularly known as the Dhaka Cholera Hospital. "Three outbreaks in Bangladesh were caused when people ate fresh date palm sap, a local sweet delicacy, which had been contaminated by bats," he said in a statement yesterday.

Jahangir Hossain, who issued the statement on behalf of the Society for General Microbiology as one of its top leaders, said, "Because both people and animals in Bangladesh often eat fresh date palm sap and fruits which have been bitten by bats, contaminated food and domestic animals form an important transmission pathway for Nipah virus to infect people."

Fruit bats are believed to be a natural reservoir of the Nipah virus, which was first seen when it killed more than 100 people out of 257 infected in Malaysia in 1999, said a story created by the French international news agency Reuters.

As per local media reports the Nipah virus has killed at least 89 people in Bangladesh since 2001, it added.

Jahangir Hossain said the first outbreaks in Malaysia started when pigs on farms ate fruit, which had been bitten by infected bats. The pigs later developed coughs and breathing difficulties, and the virus soon spread to pig farmers and abattoir workers.

The deadly brain and lung disease is now spreading into rural India and Bangladesh. In one outbreak in Bangladesh, people became infected after contact with sick cows, while close contact with pig herds was associated with another outbreak.

Jahangir Hossain's team is working with date palm sap collectors to stop bats from contaminating date palm sap.

"If we can identify the factors that allow the virus to be passed from bats to humans so frequently, we might be able to help intervene and interfere with the transmission pathways," he said.

He suggested the Government, saying, "Current efforts should focus on restricting the consumption of fruit bitten by bats, restricting human contact with sick animals, and protecting date palm sap from contamination by bat secretions."

WB criticises India’s stance over food price

Staff Reporter

The World Bank has strongly criticised India's stance towards Bangladesh regarding rice price.

Shantayanan Devarajan, Chief Economist, South Asia Region of World Bank Group in an article titled "Beggar thy neighbour" wrote: "Rising--and even accelerating--world food prices are causing serious problems to South Asia's net food importers such as Bangladesh."

"To make matters worse, the country lost about 2 million metric tons of rice (7.3 per cent of domestic production) in the twin floods of July-August and cyclone of November. To make up for the shortfall, Bangladesh is importing rice from its immediate neighbours."

"However, one of its neighbours, India, has chosen to impose either a ban on rice exports or to raise the export price above the contracted price. Every time this happens, the price of rice in Dhaka spikes. While this shows that economics works, it is troubling that a large country like India, which has a greater ability to absorb food price shocks, is imposing costs on its poorer and smaller neighbour to the east."

On Wednesday the World Bank in its latest release on 'World Food Prices: Impact on South Asia' said Bangladesh is the most affected victim of price increase of food grains.

It said, "Bangladesh, which imports a substantial portion of major grains consumed by its people, has been particularly badly affected by the continued increase in world food prices. Natural disasters in the past year - two major floods in July and August 2007 and a cyclone in November 2007 - destroyed about 2 million metric tons of rice crops."

However, WB economists expressed their confidence that Bangladesh "has the potential to cushion the blow on its poor."

"The country has very well run social assistance programmes that have worked well during the floods and cyclone of 2007. At the same time, Bangladesh should try to avoid measures such as price controls or untargeted subsidies even if they are politically popular," they said.

Delhi links Burmese port with north-east India

Agency, New Delhi

India and Burma have signed a major transport agreement linking a Burmese port with part of north-east India via road and river connections.

The $120m project will allow India to develop Burma's Sittwe port on Kaladan river from where goods will be ferried.

India has gone ahead with the project despite international pressure to isolate Burma for its rights record.

Delhi wants to boost economic ties with Burma despite urging dialogue between the Burmese government and opposition.

The agreement was signed between the second most powerful figure in the Burmese government General Maung Aye and vice president of India Hamid Ansari.

Burma awarded India the right to "build, operate and use" the port of Sittwe, strategically located in the Bay of Bengal. When India begins using the Sittwe port, it would help make Burma's Kaladan river navigable all the way up to neighbouring India's north-eastern Mizoram state.

This would, in turn, lead to India upgrading highways connecting Mizoram with the rest of the country to boost trade.

Both sides also agreed to take steps to open up existing border points in India's north-eastern states for regular trade. India has been cultivating the Burmese military junta for more than a decade now, despite mounting criticism at home and abroad, primarily to check China's growing influence in that country.

Bangabandhu had a vision to build Sonar Bangla

Desk Report

Former Chief Adviser of the caretaker government Justice Habibur Rahman said Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibar Rahman had a vision to make Bangladesh a 'Golden Bangla' which was very difficult task in this 'pardon-less and cruel' country.

He however, said ,''We all shall have to live here and die here.'' He was speaking at a publication ceremony of a book titled Ei Desh, Ei Mati (This country , this soil) edited Prof Dr AASM Arefin Siddiqi at National Press Club yesterday.

Presided over by former Finance Minister Abul Mal Abdul Mohit, Awami League Acting President Zillur Rahman, national professor Kabir Chowdhury, Prof Nim Chandra Bhowmik and Shamoli Nasrin Chowdhury, among others, attended the function as special guests.Bangabondhu Lolitakala Academy published the book which comprises his own speeches , statements, essays, instructions and interviews marking the 88th birth anniversary of the great leader

Zillur Rahman said the caretaker government had detained the Father of Nation's daughter Sheikh Hasina illegally.

Expressing his grave concern over the health condition of the former Prime Minister he alleged , the government is making dilly dally tactics to provide the proper treatment.

He reiterated his demand to release the Awami League chief whom he termed a successful prime Minster .

Professor Kabir Chowdhury criticised the present caretaker government and said some high ups of the present government are advising the people to change their food habits which is making them totally fed up upon the government

Prof Dr AASM Arefin Siddiqi said though the present government claims themselves non-partisan, some government officials stopped the speech of Bangabandhu at the state organised functions marking the Independence Day .

These should not happen and we would not tolerate these any more, he vowed.

Abul Mal Abdul Mohit in his presidential speech said Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujubar Rahman has a long dream of making classless society and everyone should work for materialising his dreams.

Terrible days ahead: Maintain austerity in power, gas use: Tamim

UNB, Dhaka

Government authorities urged the people to maintain austerity in consuming electricity and gas in view of the prevailing crises, failing which the situation could aggravate further.

Chief Advisor's Special Assistant for Power and Energy Dr. M Tamim made the request at a press briefing held at Power Ministry yesterday. Power Secretary M Fausal Kabir Khan and Energy Secretary M Mohsin were also present.

"It seems most terrible days are coming, but yet I'm optimistic," he told reporters.

He, however, blamed the immediate-past government for the country's present power and gas crises.

"Present crises in power and gas are the result of the last (BNP-led alliance) government's failure and inaction in taking timely decision," said the BUET professor-turned functionary of the caretaker government. When asked why he should blame the "last government" for the present crises, which sounds like previous political governments who always used to blame the past for the present problem, Dr Tamim said, "I'm just trying to present a situation which we inherited from the previous government."

He was found conservative in giving any credit to the previous government, but said the present government maintained continuity.

The CA's special assistant said the country is generating between 3,300 and 3,400 megawatts of power against a demand for 4,500 MWs. The generation leaves a 200MW shortage due to gas crisis.

But when his attention was drawn to the official websites of PDB and Petrobangla where the power-generation shortage was shown 728 MW and the gas shortage 211 million cubic feet (mmcfd), he said the gas and power crises in Chittagong were not included in his statement.

"Alone Chittagong area is facing a 420MW power shortage due to shortage of gas."

He requested the power consumers to keep shut half of their air-conditioners and the bulk industrial consumers to keep off their operation during peak hours or use captive power to make do with the short supply.

"If one family keeps off one of their lights, it saves 50MW electricity in the city," said the specialist.

Simultaneously, Tamim urged the gas consumers to refrain from irrational use of gas in their houses in view of the national exigencies.

He said the present government has already added 100MW electricity in to the national grid and also would add another 1000 MWs by this yearend. "We'll sign agreements for another 1000MW projects for the next government."

He said the present government has taken steps to enhance gas production by 250 MMCFD within next two years.

Tamim vented serious concern over the increasing subsidy on power, gas and petroleum from the state coffers.

He mentioned that this year the government has to spend about US$ 4.5 billion on imports of liquid petroleum fuel in the current fiscal against $ 3 billion spent last year.

The subsidy was $ 1 billion in the last fiscal and it is likely to cross $ 1.2 billion in the current fiscal, he added.

Similarly, the gas and power sectors are also getting huge subsidies.

He said the subsidy should be reduced through readjustment of their prices. "Otherwise, a time will come when all will collapse," warned the Petroleum Engineering Professor-turned functionary of the post-1/11 caretaker government.

He said that, at present, the government has no plans to increase the price of diesel or any petroleum.

Oldest Shishu Park still on top

Sarker Nazrul Islam

The Shaheed Zia Shishu Park in the heart of the capital needs replacement of old rides, modernisation of equipment and development of infrastructure for the amusement of children.

Standingh over 14 acres of land on the northern end of Suhrawardy Uddayan and western part of the famous Ramna Green, the park is visited by over seven lakh children annually. Its annual income is around Tk 2 crore.

The income of the park will go up substantially if the outdated rides are replaced and equipment modernised. Some renovation work will also add to the attraction of the park, according to some guardians of children.

Some other people have stressed the need for strengthening the security arrangements in the park. It also needs sufficient lighting for the safety of nearly three thousand children who visit it every day and stay there still late evening, they said.

The park was named after the late president Ziaur Rahman as it was his brainchild. Bangla-desh Parjatan Corporation (BPC) established it in 1979 at the initiative of Ziaur Rahman and handed over it to Dhaka City Corporation in 1983.

Siddiqur Rahman, Administrator of the park, said the park has 14 rides including wonder wheel, flying planes, space shuttles and merry-go-round.

The out of order F6 fighter jet presented by the Bangladesh Air Force in 1996 deeply draws the curiosity and attention of the children visiting the park.

The entry fee into the park is Tk 8 only.

The poor and street children can visit the park on every Wednesday without any fee and can enjoy the rides and other entertainments.

Park sources said renovation and expansion work of the park is now under active consideration of the concerned authority.

Shaheed Zia Park is still on top in comparison to other private children parks like Nandan, Fantasy Kingdom, Wonderland in and outside the city as a large number of children visited it every day.

Water, power crisis disrupt life in Ctg

Chittagong Correspondent

Life here in the port city has become difficult in recent days mainly for want of sufficient supply of water and power just ahead of ugly summer.

The early summer heat spell has also aggravated the miseries of the people apart from the disappointing situation in the power generation and load management.

Chittagong Water Sewerage Authority (CWASA) claimed that it had been pumping water only one thirds of the actual demands. The WASA Chief Engineer Mohammad Shafiqul Islam blamed generation shortfall as the main reason of short supply of water.

"We're planning to activate three more deep-tubewell and the prevailing water crisis will partially beminimized if those can operate perfectly," the WASA bigwig hoped.

The water crisis is indifferent in most of the areas across the city including Chandgaon, Khulshi, Pahartali, Agrabad, Halisahar, Bakolia, Muradpur Kazir Dewri and Lalkhan Bazar areas.

Many of the city dwellers have been forced to buy bottled water to address their demand.

With the advent of summer, the port city started plunging into darkness in every alternative hour. Some of the areas have become the victim of the PDB's one-eyed load management policy.

The power plants in the region all together generated only 216 megawatts of electricity yesterday against the demand of nearly 600 megawatts. Only 156 megawatts power was transmitted to the city consumers while the rest went to the national grid.

Deputy Director, Public Relations of the PDB Mohammad Moniruzzaman told this correspondent that they got 130 megawatts from national grid on Wednesday against 165 megawatts generation shortfall in Chittagong.