The New Nation - Internet Edition

Heat wave blamed for diarrhoea outbreak

Drinking water was being distributed among the
people at Mohammadpur Bundh areas yesterday under the
supervision of the Army. FocusBangla

Sheikh Arif Bulbon

Widespread incidents of intestinal disorder have been reported across the country due to unrelenting heat and lack of safe drinking water. In April alone at least 10 people have died. Thousands of others are suffering at home or in hospitals.

Diarrhoea is a waterborne disease that the government says kills an estimated 25,000 people annually, mostly children.

Hundreds of people with diarrhoea and dehydration-mostly children-are arriving at hospitals across the country daily. As of 30 April diarrhoeal diseases have been reported in 49 of Bangladesh's 64 districts, with over 18,000 people affected over the past 10 days, said hospital sources.

According to the Ministry of Health, over 4,000 new patients were admitted to the Government hospitals in 49 districts on May 1.

Some 556 patients were admitted to the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Diseases Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR, B) last month. On an average, 180 to 200 diarrhoea patients were admitted to the facility per day.

"These are officially recorded figures. The actual number should be 5 to 8 times more than that," said Motasim Billah, who runs a medical clinic in Dhaka.

The official figures included only those cases reported to the Government hospitals, while most of the diarrhoeal diseases occur in remote villages where no Government facilities exist, he explained.

"Even in urban and semi-urban areas, where people are supposed to be aware of the harm that diarrhoea inflicts upon its victims, especially children, only a few take their patients to hospitals, and only when the patient is severely ill. Most of the diarrhoeal cases are managed at home," said Dr Fazle Rabbi, a physician at ICDDR, B.

"The reason for the sudden spurt in diarrhoea cases is the very high temperature and this is coupled with a lack of safe drinking water," he said.

Azharul Islam Khan, head of the short-stay unit at the ICDDR,B, said, "Some 60 per cent of those who reported to the hospital required admission. Others were given outpatient treatment and counselling."

The poor and people from lower income groups were the main victims of diarrhoea as a result of a lack of awareness about safe drinking water, poor sanitation, and the fact that rising food prices were driving more and more of them to seek cheaper food, which is often contaminated, said health experts.

"Poor people are consuming stale and rotten food due to rocketing food prices and drinking

Contd on page-2 Col-unsafe water," said Habiba Khatun, Assistant Director of the Disease Control of the Health Services Directorate.

"Low-income people who rarely have access to pure drinking water and hygienic conditions are contracting the disease," said Jahangir Hossain, a scientist at the clinical sciences division of the ICDDR, B.

"The number of diarrhoea patients peaks in May. From now on we expect the number of diarrhoea patients to keep increasing each day," said Iqbal Hossain, an associate scientist at the ICDDR,B.

In Bangladesh, diarrhoea hits two peaks, one in April to May and the other in September to October.

Though the health experts do not consider the present situation 'epidemic' or 'critical,' they advise people to be cautious and observe better hygienic practices.

"To prevent diarrhoeal diseases during the hot spell, families must maintain their personal hygiene that includes washing of hands after visiting the toilet, giving fresh boiled water to children and feeding children hygienic food," said Azharul Khan of the ICDDR,B.

20 cr taka mega film: Amitabh, Aishwarya, Shabana Azmi in mujib movie

Amitabh Bachchan, Shabana Azmi and Aishwarya
Rai

Staff Reporter

Superstar Amitabh Bachchan is all set to don the role of Bangladesh's charismatic founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in a new movie also starring the actor's family.

The legendary Shyam Benegal will direct the English film "The Poet of Politics" named after the title given to the Bangladeshi leader by the Time Magazine in early 1970s in its cover story.

Bachchan, 65, recently gave his nod to the producer, Bangladeshi journalist Abdul Gaffar Chowdhury, an expatriate who was long been trying to cast the megastar for the Taka 20 crore (over Rs 11 crore) budget film, the New York-based Eastern News Agency (ENA) was quoted as saying by reports here. Big B's son Abhishek will act in the role of a young Mujib while his daughter-in-law and former Miss Universe Aishwarya Rai and renowned actress Shabana Azmi are also assigned key roles in the film.

"I could not imagine no one other than him (Bachchan) to project a person of the magnitude of Bangabandhu (Sheikh Mujib). After getting the consent of Amitabh, I am now a relieved man," ENA quoted Chowdhury as saying in New York

The movie will be made in English and subsequently dubbed into Bengali, Hindi and other languages.

Sheikh Mujib, also fondly called 'Bangabandhu' or friend of Bengal by his countrymen, led the Bengali nationalist upsurge in 1960s which eventually saw the emergence of independent Bangladesh after a nine-month long Liberation War against Pakistan with India's crucial support. Sheikh Mujib, father of now detained former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, was killed along with most of his family members in a military coup on August 15, 1975, when his Awami League government was toppled. Hasina and her younger sister Sheikh Rehana survived the carnage as they were abroad at that time.

Rashida Mahiuddin passes away

Awami League leader and Bangladesh Television
broadcaster Rashida Mohiuddin

Bdnews24.com, Dhaka

Awami League leader and Bangladesh Television broadcaster Rashida Mahiuddin died of heart failure at LabAid Cardiac Hospital Thursday morning.

She was 48.

Rashida was suffering from other health complications too.

Rashida's body was taken to her village home at Muktagachha of Mymensingh, Bangladesh Chhatra League general secretary Mahmud Hasan told bdnews24.com.

Her coffin will be taken to the Awami League office on Bangabandhu Avenue Friday.

A namaz-e-janaza for Rashida will be held at Baitul Mukarram Mosque. She will be buried at Mirpur Martyred Intellectuals' Graveyard.

Awami League presidium member Tofail Ahmed told bdnews24.com: "She (Rashida) was admitted to Modern Hospital in Dhanmondi Tuesday with dental pain complaints. Her condition deteriorated after the affected tooth was extracted under anaesthesia. She was transferred to LabAid Wednesday evening."

Mesbah Azad, media coordinator of LabAid hospital, told bdnews24.com: "Rashida Mahiuddin died clinically on Wednesday at Modern Hospital and she was transferred here in that condition later."

"Our doctors declared her dead."

Acting Awami League president Zillur Rahman and acting general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam expressed condolences.

Bangabandhu Shangskritik Jote president Alamgir Kumkum, general secretary advocate Tarana Halim, Arun Sarkar Rana and Falguni Hamid expressed shock at the death of Rashida, a founder of the cultural outfit.

Roundtable calls for health security of garment workers

Staff Reporter

Speakers at a roundtable in the city yesterday called for ensuring health security of the garments workers as many of them have been suffering from skin diseases, gastric, cough, cold, urinary tract infection, anaemia and nutritional problems.

They also urged the concerned authorities for improving the working environment of the garment labourers saying most of them have been facing the hazards of dust, noise pollution, excessive light and heat at their work places.

Doctors for Health and Environment organised the roundtable on "Health of the Garments Workers: Problems and Solution" at WVA auditorium at Dhanmondi. Dr SM Selimullah Sayed, Associate Professor of Occupation and Environmental Health Department of National Institute of Preventive and Social Medicine (NIPSAM), presented a research report at the meeting chaired by President of the forum Prof Rahsid-E-Mahbub.

Dr Mirzadi Sabrina Flora moderated the function while the forum's General Secretary Dr Shakeel Akther, Prof Mamunur Rashid, Prof Nazmun Nahar, Dr Mostak Hossain, Dr Fowzia Moslem, Dr Nasreen Bina Sikdar, Banhi Shekha Jamali, Dr MH Faruque, Dr Wazedul Islam Khan, Rita Barmon, garment workers Parul Akther and Nasima Akther addressed the roundtable.

The report suggested adequate toilet and drinking water facilities at work places for preventing urinary tract infection and rest for the workers to reduce work related stress and fatigue resulting from long working hours and over work. It also called for supplying foodstuffs to the workers at subsidised rate. Awareness on occupation health and nutrition and rational

wage structure will go a long way in warding off health hazards, the report added.

The report noted that about 67 per cent of the female workers and 30 per cent of male workers in the garment factories have been suffering from malnutrition.

The report was prepared on the basis of survey conducted last year on 850 workers in three factories.

Call to implement rights of disabled

Staff Reporter

The Government should implement 'The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities,' which is going to come into force from today, to ensure the fundamental rights and equal participation of the disabled people in the country.

It was urged by the general secretary of National Alliance of Disabled Peoples Organisations (NADPO) in a press conference at the National Press Club yesterday.

Jahangir Alam requested for a separate Ministry for the disabled and appointment of a Minister in consultation with the representatives of the disabled people's organisations. Md Jahangir Alam, general secretary of the NADPO, in his keynote paper said, "Seats should be reserved at all levels of local Government bodies, including at least 15 seats in the national parliament for the representatives of the 10 per cent citizens of the country."

"The Government should allocate revenue budget to facilitate the disabled and extend economic and technical cooperation towards strengthening the number of disabled peoples organisations," the general secretary of the NADPO said and added all political parties of the country should commit to include and implement specific programmes for the disabled people in their election manifesto.

The representatives of NADPO hoped that the establishment of the rights and dignity of 15 million disabled people would help them to play a contributive role as human resource rather than as burden on the society.

Training course on good governance concludes

BSS, Dhaka

The two-week international training course on good governance in rural development ended at the Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development (BARD) in Comilla yesterday.

A total of 15 officials from government, autonomous bodies, research and training institutions of Asian countries including Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Brunei Darussalam and host Bangladesh took part in the course, said a press release on Friday. Organised by the Governance and Institutional Development Division (GIDD) of Commonwealth Secretariat, the course was implemented by the BARD.

The Prime objective of the course was to share the basic concepts and issues of rural development, good governance and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS).

Besides, the course acquainted the participants with policies, programmes and strategies relating to pro-poor governance of the participating countries.

M. Khairul Kabir, director general of BARD presided over the concluding session while Dr Md. Shafiqul Islam, joint director and course coordinator and four participants also spoke on the occasion.

The BARD director general urged the participants to utilise the knowledge obtained from the training in eradicating poverty and ensure good governance in rural development of their respective countries.

Ex-minister Salahuddin released on parole

Salahuddin Ahmed

UNB, Dhaka

Former deputy minister for communications Salahuddin Ahmed was released yesterday on parole for six hours to attend the namaj-e-janaza of his father, Saidul Haque.

Saidul Haque died of old age complications at the age of 97 at his village home at Shikdarpara in Pekua upazila of Cox's Bazar district at about 9pm Thursday.

DIG (Prisons) Major Shamsul Haider Siddiqui told UNB that Salahuddin was sent to Cox's Bazar jail in the morning from the prison cell of BSMMU and released at 1pm on parole for six hours.

Family sources said Salahuddin, also a former BNP MP from Cox's Bazar-1, brought to Cox's Bazar jail from Dhaka at about 11am.

He was taken back to Cox's Bazar jail after his father's burial at their family graveyard.

Red tapism obstructs DAE officials promotion

Shamim Jahangir

A total of 285 BCS (Agriculture) officials under Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) didn't get promotion due to the bureaucratic red tapism during last 14 years.

The officials have expressed their resentment, as they didn't get promotion after completing full requirement because of alleged indecision of the Establishment, Agriculture and Finance Ministries, sources said.

The officials are additional agriculture officers, assistant horticulturists, metro agriculture officers, quarantine entomologists, field officers and sample collection officers.

The Establishment Ministry sources said the Government had circulated a gazette notification to upgrade the scales of 14 categories of BCS cadre from seven scales to six scales to reduce discrimination among the public service cadres under the Services (reorganisation and conditions) Act, 1975 under article-5.

At that time, 548 BCS cadres (administration) got promotion after the Government decision. But, the 285 BCS (agriculture) cadres were deprived of promotion.

Sources in DAE said, a total of 285 posts of the six grade and 700 posts of the seven grade in DEA under BCS (agriculture) are now vacant. Agriculture development has suffered a setback because of the shortage of manpower at the field level, sources added.

Steps were taken by the three ministries in 1997, 1999, 2000 and 2001 for the promotion of the officers, but finally it was kept in abeyance.

In February 2002, the Establishment Ministry had formed a 'Fact Finding Committee' to upgrade the post of the agriculture cadres from seventh grade to sixth grade. Later, it constituted a high-powered committee led by additional secretary of the Establishment Ministry to review the fact finding committee report.

Besides, in November 2004, organisation and management unit of the Establishment Ministry said it has objection to upgrade the 285 posts of the BCS agriculture cadres from seven grade scales to six grade scales.

On the other hand, DAE urged the concerned ministry last year to take necessary steps to promote its officials from seven grade scales to six grade scales.

Talking to the New Nation, a senior official of DAE said, "We have been discharging our duty with sincerity at the filed level, but the Government hasn't recognised our contribution."

Another official of DAE said one of his friends in the administrative cadre got promotion twice since joining the service though they were appointed at the same time.

Several BCS cadres (Agriculture) told the New Nation that after completing all the necessary procedures, they are yet to get promotion following the indecision of the concerned ministry.

Agriculture Adviser CS Karim told the New Nation that he knew nothing about the matter.

Frequent power disruption: IPS generator traders make brisk business

Chittagong Correspondent

Scorching summer heat coupled with frequent power outage have apparently put the Instant Power Supply (IPS), a power storing device, and portable power generator traders and manufacturers into business they hardly made in the recent years.

The IPS traders are doing brisk business in the recent months, which reportedly outcast the annual turnovers of the recent years, according to the top IPS manufacturers and traders in the city.

The electricity dependent urban-life is no longer able to sustain the hazards caused from power outage forcing many of the solvent families to procure IPS or gas-run-generators as their alternative sources of electricity. Users are no more considering the IPS or the power generators as the elements of luxury but the part of everyday life.

Different offices, residential units and elementary schools have already installed the IPS in the recent months to fight the routine power outage and to tackle the bad days staying ahead.

"Increasing number of city apartments are gradually going under the electricity backup from the IPS in addition to the diesel generation unit because of its noise and fuel free operation," a trader said adding that the IPSs of both foreign and domestic origin are top on the demand list.

Mrs. Rafiya Sultana who recently has installed an IPS at her home to get rid of sultry summer said, "I'm no more worried for power outage as I've procured an alternative source of electricity at a cost of Taka 35,000."

She informed that her IPS unit would provide total backup of the apartment during the blackout time only keeping the refrigerators and other power-intensive devises out.

Plant Engineer of a leading manufacturer of IPS in the country, Mohammadullah told this correspondent that demand for the medium output IPS grew fast making instant delivery of a unit difficult even if the payment is made.

We used to deliver the IPS within a day or two. But time has changed; we're really under pressure simply to address the fast growing demands, Aman said adding that we, however, usually deliver the IPS within the shortest possible time.

Consumers may buy the IPSs of output capacity between 280 watts and 1200 watts at prices between Taka 18,000 to Taka 65,000. Several private companies like Navana, Ranks, Janani, Modern, Supersonic, Butterfly, Singer and Intraco - are also manufacturing IPS.

The frustrating scenario in the power sector has compelled large industrial units and business organizations like television channels procuring industrial IPS in order to keep their power supply uninterrupted.

The peak-hour power demand in the country stood at 8500 megawatts when the existing power stations had been generating slightly above 3200 megawatts a day.

Experts said the power situation is unlikely to improve in the next few years, as the government is yet to decide on installation of larger power generation plants.

India-supplies 12,500 MT rice to Bangladesh

BSS, Dhaka

India has supplied 12,500 metric tonnes of rice to Bangladesh during December 2007-April 2008.

A press release issued by the High Commission of India in Dhaka said that the government of India had offered assistance of 40,000 metric tons of rice, 10,000 metric tons of wheat and 1,000 metric tons of milk powder in aid of the people affected by floods and other natural disasters.

4 arms seized by RAB in Ctg

13 hand grenades and ammunition were recovered from
Gumdandi in Chittagong yesterday. Banglar Chokh

BSS, Chittagong

Members of the RAB-7 here recovered four different category firearms in an abandoned state from Boilchari area under Banshkhali upazila in the district in the small hours of Thursday.

The seized guns includes 2 locally-made single barrel gun , one revolver and one light gun, a RAB press release said here today.

A squad of anti-crime elite force rushed to the Boilchari area following specific information that some miscreants were assembled in the area to commit crime and seized the illegal firearms in an abandoned state at about 12.35 a.m. on Thursday.

Govt support for labour Friendly factories urged Staff Reporter

Labour and Employment Adviser Anwarul Iqbal yesterday urged knitwear manufacturers to establish labour-friendly factories and increase facilities for workers.

The Adviser said the government would provide all support to the setting up of labour-friendly factories.

Anwarul Iqbal was addressing a seminar on "export growth and compliance: the case of Bangladesh knitwear sector" at the Osmani Memorial Hall in the city. The seminar was organised by the Labour and Employment Ministry and BKMEA.

Iqbal stressed the need for introducing a rationing system for knitwear workers as the spiralling prices of commodities hit hard the low-income group people.

The government had earlier asked the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) and the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) to increase facilities for workers.

BKMEA president Fazlul Hoque said the association had decided to introduce a rationing system from next Monday. In the initial stage, the rationing system would function in Fatullah in Narayanganj and the BSCIC industrial area.

Hoque said the rice sale at reduced rate of Tk 25 per Kg among its workers would continue until the price comes within the buying capacity of the workers.

BKMEA would have to provide Tk10 as subsidy for each Kg of rice. Each worker would get four kg of rice a week from the BKMEA outlets, he informed.

He also said that BKMEA would revise worker wages in a couple of months.

One million people, 70 percent of them women, work in the knitwear sector under directly and five million others indirectly, said BKMEA vice president MA Baset.

Baset, who presented a paper on export growth, said the knitwear sector of Bangladesh grabbed the biggest pie of Bangladesh exports and had an average growth rate of 20 percent in the last 10 years.

The knitwear export earned the country $3.47 billion in the first eight months of the current fiscal year, he said.

Readymade garment contributed for $9.12 billion or 75.64 percent of the national export earnings in fiscal 2006-07 and $6.76 billion or 76.23 percent in the first eight months of the current fiscal year, Baset said.

However, president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers’ and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Anwar-ul Alam Chowdhury Parves told BBC yesterday that garment owners would not sell rice at concession rates among their workers.

Anwar-ul Alam Chowdhury said the factories of BKMEA are located only in Narayanganj, while BGMEA factories are scattered across the country. They have no logistic support to introduce the system in a vast area, he said.