The New Nation - Internet Edition

From the Foreign Press: The Snore Wars

Sanjay Gupta, M.D.

That rumbling can put your health, sanity and marriage at risk. Here's what you can do

I have always been happy that I'm not a snorer - or at least I was until recently, when my wife told me otherwise. After a few days of adamant denials, I decided to place a tape recorder on the bedside table. When I hit play the next morning, I was surprised to hear a rhythmic, rumbling noise that was enough to disturb my wife's sleep. In my case, the problem was transient, caused by a recent bout of allergies and sinus trouble. When my breathing cleared up, so did the snoring. Yet for millions of other couples out there, snoring is a cause not just of health worries but also of marital woes.

According to a recent study, nearly 1 out of 4 people married to a snorer will eventually be driven out of the bedroom rather than spend another night battling for sleep. Sometimes even that's not enough. "I see a lot of patients whose spouses can't just go to another room. They have to escape to a whole other area of the house," says Dr. Marc Kayem, medical director of the Snoring and Apnea Centre of California, in Los Angeles.

Snoring is caused by a few things, but the biggest culprit is a vibration of very relaxed muscles and tissues in the throat, which rattle against narrow breathing passages. Symptoms are worse when you are overweight, have a short neck or still have your tonsils. "It's almost like trying to sleep with a straw in your mouth," says Kayem. As you might guess, snorers should refrain from sleeping on their back, as gravity will pull muscles toward the back of the throat. Sleeping on your side is best. It's also helpful to cut back on relaxants like alcohol and certain medications before bed.

Nasal strips, which adhere to the bridge of the nose and widen airways, are popular, but I have always been dubious about them. Kayem recommends them but only for people whose snoring is due to sinus blockage. They won't help chronic snorers with loose muscles in their throats.

There are some over-the-counter sprays that work by coating the soft palate. But if you use the spray, be sure to reapply it after you drink any liquid. Mouth guards customised by a dentist can be useful yet pricey. They work by moving your jaw forward, which allows more room in your throat. Similar appliances are sold over the counter, but sleep experts urge patients to pass up such noncustomised options.

Weight plays a key role too. For many people who have noticed their snoring symptoms worsening, the answer may be as simple as dropping five or 10 extra pounds. But many people need to lose a lot more than that. For these folks, snoring is more than a nuisance; it can literally be a matter of life and death. Two-thirds of chronic snorers develop a serious condition known as obstructive sleep apnea. In between snores, the breathing passages get completely blocked, resulting in no air at all for 10 seconds or more. In those 10 seconds, your brain isn't getting oxygen and your blood isn't pumping to your heart. This can cause high blood pressure, fatigue and a decrease in productivity. In severe cases, it can lead to stroke or heart attack.

Many patients experience dramatic improvements when their doctors prescribe nighttime breathing masks, which gently force air past obstructions. A relatively new, minimally invasive solution called the pillar procedure may fix the problem permanently with the aid of three to five implants inserted into the soft palate. The idea is to stiffen the tissue and provide a wider opening for breathing. Small studies show a 75% success rate. The procedure takes only about 15 minutes and is said to be virtually painless. The downside is that it costs from $1,500 to $3,000 and isn't usually covered by insurance. No matter what method you choose, the key is not to brush off symptoms. If you catch them early, you can protect both yourself and your marriage. So thanks, honey, for telling me I snore.

-With reporting by Danielle Dellorto/Atlanta

Jamdani in fashion

Contestants at the Elite Ranga Mehedi Jamdani
Fashion Contest organised by Dhakabashi at the Central
Public Library yesterday. Sharif Khan

Sheikh Arif Bulbon

Jamdani, one of the oldest forms of cottage industry in Bangladesh, is a fabric of fine cotton muslin of the Bengali origin with coloured stripes and patterns. Jamdani saris are much sought after by fashion-conscious women for their elegance.

Bengal is a large hub of Jamdani sari suppliers and different kinds of Jamdani sari manufacturers. 'Daccai Jamdani' is one of them. 'Daccai Jamdani' saris distinguished from its transformed cousins by its very fine texture similar to muslin and the elaborate and ornate workmanship.

Once Jamdani was a dying trade. In the first half of the nineteenth century, James Taylor, a traveller, described the figured or flowered Jamdani. Whether figured or flowered, the Jamdani was a woven fabric in cotton, and it was undoubtedly one of the varieties of the finest muslin. It has been spoken of as the most artistic textile of the Bangladeshi weaver. Traditionally woven around Dhaka and created on the loom brocade, the Jamdani is fabulously rich in motifs.

There are at least six varieties of Bengal handlooms, each deriving its name from the village in which it originated and each with its own distinctive style.

Though mostly used for saris, Jamdani is also used for scarves and handkerchiefs. Jamdani is the most expensive product of Dhaka looms since it requires the most lengthy and dedicated labour of the highest quality.

Jamdani patterns are mostly of geometric, plants, and floral designs originated Persian and Mughal fusion thousands of years ago. Due to the exquisite pain-staking methodology required, only aristocrats and royal families were able to afford such luxuries.

To present the rich heritage of Jamdani Dhakabashi, a socio-cultural organisation engaged in upholding traditiona and cultural heritage of Dhaka city, organised a fashion contest titled 'Elite Ranga Mehedi Jamdani Fashion Contest' at the Seminar Room of the Central Public Library in the city yesterday.

Brig Gen (Retd) MA Malek, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser for the Ministry of Social Welfare, Post and Telecommunication Affairs, was present as chief guest at the contest.

Inam Ahmed Chowdhury, Chief Adviser of Dhakabashi, chaired the event while Nagina Chowdhury, Adviser of Dhakabashi, Dulal Biswas, Secretary General of the National Youth Organisation Federation, Abul Hossain, DGM of Elite Cosmetica, Shukur Salek, President of Dhakabashi, Shahin Parvin, among others, spoke on the occasion.

The contest began amid festivity and females wearing various types of Jamdani saris presented various colourful moods of Jamdani saris at the contest.

The programme ended with the flute performance of Abdul Kader. Besides, people from different parts of the city wearing Panjabis also took part in the showcase. In the contest, Sabina Yasmin Baby won the first prize, Sumi second and Pinki won the third prize.

Maternal mortality still high in Bangladesh

BSS, Dhaka

Bangladesh has made remarkable progress on health and family planning programmes in last two decades although the maternal mortality ratio is still higher with 320 per one lakh women die each year due to pregnancy related complications.

Death of mothers accounts for 20 per cent among all women of reproductive ages and the major causes for such mortality in the country are attributed to abortion, eclampsia, violence, hemorrhage, sepsis, obstructed labour and other obstetric reasons.

The observations were came at a discussion on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights at Jatiya Press Club, jointly organised by Health and Environment Journalist Forum, Bangladesh (HEJFB) and Reproductive Health Services Training and Education Programme (RHSTEP).

Senior journalist and columnist Zaglul Ahmed Chowdhury moderated the discussion, in which head of news ATN Bangla Manjurul Ahsan Bulbul took part as lead discussant.

President of HEJFB Mustafiz Shafi presided over the function, where HEJFB General Secretary Saiful Islam Shameem, Executive Director of RHSTEP Quazi Suraiya Sultana and Programme manager Dr Luna Chakma spoke on the occasion.

Health journalists from both print and electronic media including, Masud Kamal, Naimul Haque, Abdul Mannan, Ayub Bhuiyan, Nashrat Chowdhury, M Enamul Haque, Jayanta Achariya, Zahirul Abedin and Irin Niazi Manna took part in discussion.

Zaglul Ahmed Chowdhury said newspaper and electronic media could play a significant role in promoting knowledge and creating public opinion about safe motherhood.

He said both print and electronic media should give priority on knowledge building, groom up at least one specialised reporter to cover health issues as well as update the editing section with health terminologies for a better health journalism in the country. Sexual and reproductive health is not solely a health issue, Zaglul Ahmed said, adding it's a matter of economic development, social justice, gender equality and human rights.

He said health as a major development area seemed to be narrowly focused in the media, which usually cover a small part of the diverged issue. In this context, he said, both journalists and their superiors should give higher importance to health and protect sexual and reproductive rights.

Monjurul Ahsan Bulbul stressed the need for investigative reporting and their follow-ups on sexual and reproductive health issues, often a culturally sensitive phenomenon. He said that the quality and in-depth reports by health reporters could occupy more space in media.

In this context, he reminded health reporters to prepare good reports that would have higher market value and submit it before their editors so that the news can get priority to be broadcast or published.

He said the country now experiences three types of journalism- protocol, clerical and king fisher- which only looks at the shallow aspects of news.

"Investigative journalism are seldom found in the country," he said, urging health journalists to focus more into the in-depth reporting and project the real picture of health sector before the nation.

Suriya Sultana said they have been working for the protection of sexual and reproductive health rights for long, but occasionally their achievements are reported in media. She said media needs to come forward to help attain millennium development goals (MDGs) by 2015.

IBBL hosts Iftar: Well-to-do people urged to form Zakat fund

Staff Reporter

Speakers at a discussion cum Iftar Mahfil yesterday said the wealthy persons in the society could form 'Jakat Fund' by their own initiatives for resolving the unemployment problem and poverty alleviation in the country.

" The holy Ramzan is the month of self purification, mutual sympathy and symbol of equity," they said at the function organised by the Islami Bank Bangladesh Ltd (IBBL) at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel.

M Fariduddin Ahmad, Managing Director, Islami Bank Bangladesh Ltd delivered welcome speech.

Justice Syed JR Mudassir Husain, former Chief Justice was present as chief guest while Prof Abu Nasser Muhammad Adbuz Zaher, Chairman, Board of Directors, Islami Bank Bangladesh presided over.

Shah Addul Hannan, former secretary of the government and ex chairman, Board of Directors, Islami Bank Bangladesh Ltd presented the keynote paper on ' Role of Wafq, Micro Investment, Zakat and Usr in Poverty Alleviation'.

Dr Abdullah Bin Naser Al Bussairy, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was the chief discussant.

" We need to streamlining the Zakat, Waqf, Usr and Micro Investment systems for poverty reduction in the country," they added.

They called upon the industrialists, businessmen and other professionals to come forward with positive attitude to reduce the abject poverty in the country.

Justice Syed JR Mudassir Husain urged the affluent people of the society to establish a balanced society in the country by performing the Zakat, Waqf, Usr and micro investment.

"Islamic Bank Bangladesh Ltd is playing a significant role in poverty alleviation through small investment in the rural areas," he mentioned.

He called upon the bank to make its ' Rural Development Project' more people welfare oriented.

Dr Abdullah Bin Naser Al Bussairy said the holy month of Ramzan gives us lessons to narrowing the wealth gap between the rich and poor.

"The rich people could get an understanding the sufferings of the poor people by observing fast in the month of Ramzan," he said.

Shah Addul Hannan said the poor people of the country would be benefited if the rich people could provide a lump sum of their financial wealth for 'Waqf' purpose.

He suggested bringing diversification in the policy of small investment through combining micro finance, Waqf charity and Zakat for poverty alleviation.

Moulana Muhammad Lutfur Rahman, Khatib, Islami Samaj Kalyan Samity Mosque, Mirpur, Dhaka, Abu Taher Mohammad Saleh, Executive Vice President of the bank, diplomats, businessmen, media persons and high government and private sectors officials also attended it among others.

Tribute to Engr Quamrul

Staff Reporter

Speakers of a memorial meeting said, former Secretary of the government Engr Quamrul Islam Siddique, also founder Chief Engineer of the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) would be alive through his outstanding contribution in various sectors especially in the local government arena.

They said, Engr Quamrul (63), who passed away on October 31 last in the USA, is the future role model for the countrymen adding that he never compromised with any foreign donor agency sacrificing the interest of the country.

Engineers' Foundation '66 organised the memorial meeting of Engr Quamrul Islam Siddique at the Institute of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB) in the city yesterday.

Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser Brig Gen (Retd) Engr MA Malek addressed the meeting as chief guest.

MA Malek said his sense of responsibility and love for the working institutions were hardly seen. He was a skilled and talented engineer along aside he was honest, responsible and patriotic, he added.

M Zamir, former Secretary of the Foreign Ministry and Ambassador and also Vice President of Bangladesh Water Partnership (BWP), Engr Mohsin Ali, IEB President, Engr Wahidur Rahman, Additional Chief Engineer of LGED, Engr Shawkat Ali, Chairman of Bangladesh Power Development Board (PDB), Engr Towhidul Anwar Khan, BWP Secretary General and its Executive Secretary Reba Paul, among others, also addressed the memorial meeting.

Founder president of the foundation Engr M Shahjahan Khadem presided over the meeting, while its general secretary Engr Mokhlasur Rahman conducted it.

They said the country lost a lot in his death and added that he contributed immensely to the nation.

M Zamir said, Engr Quamrul was able to think many things about the country what the normal people couldn't do. He helped create many institutions.

M Zamir also suggested creating a scholarship fund after Engr Quamrul Islam Siddique.

PDB Chairman Shawkat Ali said Qaumrul had made a radical change in PDB when he was PDB chairman for one year only.

Reba Paul said late Quamrul Islam was conferred "Gandhi Peace Award" on Friday last.

Besides, classmates of Quamrul Islam Siddique, who belong to batch-66 of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology reminisced his memory.

Freedom fighter Engr Quamrul Islam was chairman of the Privatisation Board and PDB and also held key post of various organisations.

Teletalk plans to release 30 lakh more SIMs

BSS, Dhaka

State-owned mobile phone company Teletalk Ltd has taken up an ambitious plan to release 30 lakh more SIMs in the market at a cost of 20 crore dollars, which is likely to come from donors as soft-term loans, company officials said yesterday.

The work for expanding its network and setting up establishment for connecting 18 lakh SIMs would be completed by December, Chairman of Teletalk board and Posts and Telecommunications Secretary Iqbal Mahmud told BSS.

Teletalk is likely to make a profit of Taka 32 crore during the current fiscal with the improvement of its devices and expansion of networks, Mahmud said, adding it would be the first profit by the company.

He said the Teletalk administration is also being recast. To bring transparency in the recruitment process, written tests and interviews are being taken simultaneously for new applicants, the telecom secretary said.

Mahmud said only merit is being taken into consideration without any lobbying for recruitment. Meanwhile, 25 officials of Teletalk on deputation from the former BTTB, now renamed BTCL, are being sent back there.

'Another US strike’ hits Pakistan

Agency

Five civilians and seven militants have been killed in north-west Pakistan in a suspected US missile attack, local officials say.

Missiles hit two buildings near Miranshah, the main town in the North Waziristan region on the Afghan border.

It has emerged that President Bush recently authorised US raids against militants in Pakistan without prior approval from Islamabad.

There is growing concern in Pakistan over unilateral US military action.

Early reports said all, or nearly all, of the dead were Taleban fighters killed by one missile.

But later reports from the scene said missiles hit two buildings - in one three women and two children were killed, and in the other seven Taleban militants died. The missiles were fired from a drone - an unmanned US plane - local people said.

Military spokesman Maj Murad Khan confirmed "a missile attack at around 5.30 in the morning" and said the government had been informed.

American and international troops are fighting Taleban and al-Qaeda militants close to the scene of the attack in neighbouring Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, the Pakistani army says its troops have killed at least 28 militants in the north-west of the country.

The BBC's M Ilyas Khan in Pakistan says that heavy fighting is continuing around the strategically important area of Loisam in the Bajaur tribal area.

House destroyed

Friday's missile attack was in the Tol Khel area on the outskirts of Miranshah, local officials and eyewitnesses told the BBC.

It is the fifth time since the beginning of this month that US forces have carried out cross border strikes, according to local people.

On Monday, at least 14 people were killed and 15 injured in a suspected US missile strike in North Waziristan, witnesses and officials said.

The attacks follow persistent US accusations that Pakistan is not doing enough to eliminate Taleban and al-Qaeda sanctuaries in the border region.

An unnamed senior Pentagon official told the BBC that at some point within the past two months President Bush issued a classified order to authorise US raids against militants in Pakistan

Pakistan has said it will not allow foreign forces onto its territory and that it will vigorously protect its sovereignty. It says that cross border raids are not the best way of fighting the "war against terror".

The country's Chief of Army Staff, Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, said there was "no question of any agreement or understanding with the coalition forces whereby they are allowed to conduct operations on our side of the border".

The upsurge in strikes has alarmed Pakistani military and government officials, who say it seriously undermines their counter-insurgency operations.

Claim disputed

Meanwhile, the Pakistani army says it killed at least 28 militants in the north-west of the country on Thursday night.

They said two army soldiers were also killed in the fighting. The killings took place in the troubled districts of Swat and Bajaur, on the Afghan border.

The militants have disputed the army's claim, saying no Taleban have been killed.

An army spokesman, Major Murad Khan, told the BBC that those killed included foreign fighters as well.

A Taleban spokesman, Maulvi Omar, told the BBC's Urdu service that no Taleban fighter had died in Thursday's fighting.

The casualty figures could not be independently verified.

Bajaur is believed to be a major al-Qaeda sanctuary, and has attracted several suspected US missile attacks from across the border in Afghanistan.

Security forces launched an operation against militants in the area in the first week of August.

Most markets and shops in the area have remained closed since then.

More than 300,000 people have since fled the area to avoid fighting.

Witnesses say those who are still in the area are faced with severe food and medicine shortages.

Call for creating mass awareness on adverse impact of smoking

Staff Reporter

Speakers at a meeting called for revising the tobacco law with a view to creating mass awareness on bad impact of smoking and using other tobacco products.

They gave this suggestion at a view exchange meeting on 'Adverse Impact of Smoking with Necessity of Using Picture on Bidi- Cigarettes Packets and Tobacco Products' at Dhaka Reporters Unity yesterday.

Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) and Bangladesh Consortium on Tobacco Control (BCTC) jointly organised the meeting.

Bhorhan Ahmed, President of CAB presided over the meeting.

Around 57,000 people die every year in the country due to smoking and using of tobacco products, Dr M Mostafa Jaman, National Professional Officer of WHO, said quoting from WHO survey report.

"Smoking is a silent killer. But, the media didn't play proper role to create awareness about adverse effects of smoking and others tobacco products," Dr Jaman said.

Iqbal Masud, BCTC Programme Coordinator in his keynote paper said that the uneducated people could know about harmful effect of Bidi-Cigarettes through using pictures on their packets.

He called for coordinated initiative to create awareness among the people in this regard.

Bhorhan Ahmed said that the government should take steps to revise the existing law on smoking and tobacco products.

He emphasised the role of the media in motivating people to give up the habit of smoking and using tobacco products.

Wave of blasts hits Delhi markets: 18 killed

BBC Online

Five bombs have ripped through busy markets in India's capital, Delhi, within minutes of each other, killing at least 18 people, police say.

The explosions, which also injured about 80 people, are not thought to have been very powerful but happened in areas crowded with evening shoppers.

Crude explosives have been detonated in several Indian cities recently.

More than 400 people have died since October 2005 in attacks on Ahmedabad, Bangalore and other cities. India has blamed Islamist militant groups for these previous bombings.

CNN-IBN, a local TV news channel, said it had received an e-mail before the blasts from a group calling itself the "Indian Mujahideen".

"Do whatever you can. Stop us if you can," the e-mail reportedly said. The same group has claimed responsibility for two other recent bombing attacks.

Pakistan's new President, Asif Ali Zardari, "strongly condemned" the bomb attacks, expressing "shock and grief over the loss of precious human lives".

His Prime Minister, Yousuf Raza Gilani, said the bombers were "enemies of humanity".

Two of the latest blasts in Delhi are believed to have happened metres away from each other in the central shopping district of Connaught Place.

Another blast took place in a market in the Greater Kailash area in south Delhi.

A BBC producer who visited the scene said a low-intensity explosion had scattered glass over a large area, near a popular cafe. Two of the other explosions were reported in Delhi's Karol Bagh area and on the Barakhamba Road.

Chanchal Kumar helped carry several casualties to ambulances after witnessing one of the explosions, outside a metro station.

"Around 1830 we heard a very loud noise, then we saw people running all over the place," Reuters news agency quoted him as saying.

"There were about 100-200 people around this place."

Another eyewitness, Sanjeev Gole, heard a "huge blast":

"I was around the corner from the road. I came running down and I saw at least four to five people lying on the road."

Television pictures show scenes of chaos at the blast scenes. Crowds milled around mangled vehicles, with debris and blood scattered across the streets. An unexploded bomb was reportedly found and defused at the capital's India Gate monument, local TV quoted police as saying.

After the bombings in Jaipur and Bangalore, a group calling itself the Indian Mujahideen also claimed responsibility.

While it is too early to say exactly what caused Saturday's blasts in Delhi, they appear similar to the earlier attacks.

Seminar on terrorism: IGP leaves for India today

Staff Reporter

Inspector General of Police Nur Mohammad leaves Dhaka for India today to attend an international seminar on terrorism.

The two-day seminar will begin at the Indian capital of New Delhi on Monday.

The Asia Pacific World Regional Office of International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) has organised the seminar, to be attended by the police chiefs of Asia and the Pacific region.

Holy Ramzan: Commit no excess

Self-restraint, if it goes to the extent of extremism in the performance of any worship or prayer, is not acceptable to Allah. Either it be excessive in prayer (Salat), fasting; or totally abstaining from normal way of day-to-day life, it is out of the 'balanced' and disciplined Islamic life. Islam does not allow sacrifice of the human instincts at the altar of monasticism. The holy Quran says: "We did not prescribe for them." (57:27) According to the same verse it is their 'invention,'. It is wrong as it is against human nature.

When some of the companions of the greatest Messenger of Allah resolved 'to fast every day, to pray every night, not to sleep on bed.." the Prophet warned," Your bodies certainly have rights over you; so fast (only obligatory fasting) but also abstain from fasting (not the obligatory fasting of Ramzan); and pray at night, but also sleep. I fast but I also abstain from fasting, I eat meat, as well as fat. And I also marry. So whoever turns away from my way, is not with me." (Bukhari, Muslim).

So, none should cross the limit of Divine injunctions. No 'invention' of monasticism is allowed. Allah says: O ye who believe, make not unlawful the good things which Allah hath made lawful for you, but commit no excess." (5:87)

-Abdul Muqit Chowdhury