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Category: Opinion

  • Tobacco Industry Interference Index 2021: Study Findings Unveiled

    Tobacco Industry Interference Index 2021: Study Findings Unveiled

    The incessant interference from tobacco industry has put the public health of Bangladesh under substantial risk. The country’s score in the 2021 Tobacco Industry Interference Index stands at 72 which was 68 last year. The increase in score suggests a worsening trend in terms of tobacco industry interference. Due to aggressive activities of tobacco companies during the Covid-19 pandemic, the implementation of World Health Organization (WHO)’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and also the realization of Bangladesh’s own vision of being a tobacco-free country by 2040 are now under threat of being derailed. Such concerning facts and many more were brought to light today (28 November 2021, Sunday) as the research findings of ‘Tobacco Industry Interference Index: The FCTC Article 5.3 Implementation Report, Bangladesh 2021’ was unveiled during an event, jointly organized by research and advocacy organization PROGGA and Anti-Tobacco Media Alliance (ATMA) at the CIRDAP Auditorium, Dhaka.

    The Chief Guest, Saber Hossain Chowdhury MP, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Environment, Forestry and Climate Change, said,  “Tobacco is killing more people than COVID-19. Nonetheless, the government is yet to take effective tobacco control measures. The question arises whether the government bodies really hold the spirit of FCTC and the HPM’s vision of a tobacco-free country.” Eminent economist and the convener of the National Anti-Tobacco Platform, Dr. Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad said, “Bangladesh has made very poor performance in the Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index. We also scored the poorest among our South Asian peers. Why did we perform so poorly?” To improve the situation, he demanded divestment of the government’s share in BATB and reinstatement of 25% export duty on tobacco. Prominent Journalist and Editor-in-Chief of TV Today Mr. Monjurul Ahsan Bulbul said, “Government bodies need to be sensitized so that they do not accept any aid from tobacco industry. Receiving donations from the tobacco industry is a clear violation of FCTC as well as in conflict with the declaration of the Prime Minister.”

    The study findings show that Bangladesh has experienced an increase in tobacco industry interference during the study period (January 2020-March 2021) and there has been no progress in the implementation of Article 5.3 Guidelines. The time period has also seen a recurrence of tobacco industry’s attempt to interfere and exert influence in policymaking via diplomatic channel. On behalf of Japan Tobacco Inc. (JTI), the Ambassador of Japan to Bangladesh wrote a letter to the finance minister where the diplomat said, any tobacco control measure that may hurt business interest of JTI would cause a cessation of the flow of Japanese FDI into the country. The report covers another stark anti-public health move that took place during the early days of Covid-19 pandemic. In April 2020, the Ministry of Industry (MoInd) exempted two transnational tobacco companies, BAT Bangladesh (BATB) and JTI Bangladesh from the obligations of nationwide lockdown through a government order. The Ministry also instructed the local administration and law enforcement agencies to assist these companies to continue manufacturing, marketing, leaf purchase and other operations. MoInd also quickly turned down the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW)’s request to withdraw such special permissions granted to tobacco companies. Asian Tobacco (Pvt) Ltd, a Bangladeshi tobacco company, was allowed by Bangladesh Export Processing Zone Authority (BEPZA) to establish a cigarette and tobacco processing plant in Ishwardi Export Processing Zone, where the company would enjoy tax exemption and other lucrative facilities. Another notable incident was the endorsement from ten (10) Members of Parliaments (MPs) to the bidi industry’s demand for tax reduction in a Demi Official (DO) letter addressed to the finance minister.

    The study also reveals that during the pandemic, tobacco companies ramped up their CSR activities to such a scale that was completely unprecedented. The companies successfully managed to exploit many crises created by Covid-19 pandemic to improve brand image and also to forge multi-faceted liaison with different influential government bodies while distributing protective and sanitizing equipment, thus making pathways for future interferences. Like previous years, the National Board of Revenue (NBR) and other government institutions, continued to shower tobacco companies with awards and recognitions.

    The research has also put forth recommendations for amending tobacco control law to make it more compliant with FCTC, by including a comprehensive ban on tobacco companies’ CSR activities, among other issues. It also recommends elimination of cigarettes from the list of essential commodities by amending the 1956 Essential Commodities Act, formulation and implementation of a simple tobacco price and tax policy, divestment of the government’s share in tobacco companies, finalization of a code-of-conduct for relevant govt. officials in case of interaction with tobacco companies and their representatives, and withdrawal of all incentives provided to tobacco companies along with a ban on investments in tobacco business. The tobacco companies should also be declared ineligible for any government recognition and awards, the study recommends.

    Notably, with a view to highlighting the importance of formulating a policy in line with FCTC Article 5.3 Guidelines, PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress) has been releasing the findings of Bangladesh Tobacco Industry Interference Index study since 2018. This year the study for global tobacco industry interference index has been conducted in 80 countries. Among these countries, Bangladesh ranked 62nd in the 2021 Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index. The latest report also reveals the concerning fact that tobacco industry interference in Bangladesh remained higher than any other country in South Asia. The study assesses how the government responded to industry interference and what measures it took to thwart such interference, on the basis of FCTC Article 5.3 Guidelines. The higher the score is, the stronger interference it suggests. This study was conducted as a part of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Stopping Tobacco Organizations and Products (STOP) project and received overall support from the Global Centre for Good Governance in Tobacco Control (GGTC) at the School of Global Studies in Thammasat University.

    The discussants include Dr. Mary Assunta, Head of Global Research & Advocacy, GGTC, Muhammad Shafiqul Islam, Bangladesh Country Advisor, Vital Strategies, Muhammad Ruhul Quddus, Bangladesh Country Coordinator, Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI), CTFK, Md. Mostafizur Rahman, Lead Policy Advisor, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK), Dr. Syed Mahfuzul Huq, National Professional Officer (NCD), World Health Organization (WHO), Syed Mahbubul Alam, Technical Advisor, The UNION and ABM Zubair, Executive Director, PROGGA. The welcome address was delivered by Mortuza Haider Liton, Chief Crime Reporter of bdnews24.com and convener of ATMA. Nadira Kiron, Chief Reporter, ATN News and Co-convener of ATMA, hosted the event whereas Md. Hasan Shahriar, Head of Tobacco Control, PROGGA, presented the findings.

  • A Piece Consciousness means A Lovely and Fresh Environment

    A Piece Consciousness means A Lovely and Fresh Environment

    Nawrin Sultana (Luna): Recently some pictures of some public universities campus and tourist spots of Bangladesh have taken our attention. On these pictures, some pictures show that during the time of COVID-19, the natural beauty of some places have come back with flowers, trees and leaves. On the other hand, some people make some funny pictures with endangered animal by saying that these animals are also come back again in these time because they feel very relaxed as human being cannot do any harm to them. Though these pictures can say thousands of words but I would like to say on sentence that, at the end of the day all pictures and natural changes send us a message that human being are harmful for environment and they are creating harm for environment.

    We should feel same on our unconscious deeds. From childhood we came to know one common matter that two places should be clean and pure form any places else. Those places are educational institutions and religious places or pilgrims. But now we clean or pilgrims or religious places but make impure our educational institutions especially this is a very common seen in higher educational institution. But in early age at pre-primary or primary level of education kids maintain hygiene and cleanliness in their classroom or school by following different kind of regulations there. But when some of them are grown up, they should make other people aware instead of doing wrong deeds.

    Unfortunately the scenario is very negative and different in our country. And as I am student of University of Dhaka, I am telling about the cleanliness of my University campus. Open smoking, throwing garbage, plastic bottle here and there do not using the trash bin is very common here by thinking that the cleaner man will remove it. But thinking for the environment has no place on their mind as they are the students of highest educational institutions in our country. Rules breaking for environment by creating an immeasurable harm to the environment in the long run seem to smartness for some people. When another friend trying to make those people aware or concern about not to do those, then the wrong doers pinch, make fun or laugh at him. And this is the bitter truth on the point of saving and spoiling our natural environment.

    Now the point is how can we make aware these blind people with eyed? As we know that all students are matured in university level and well-educated and reputed people go to visit the tourist spots in our country. So it will be overlapping to make those people again inform about responsibilities and doings for environment. But we can raise or awake their sleeping conscience, rationality, and ethics and virtuous through some projects like short poems, cartoons, posters are here and there or around the trash bin of university campus and tourist spots.

    We all know that university and tourist spots are reflect the highest exorcisms and merits of a society and nations. But if we fall behind in these sector by destructing our environment by some of our wrong deeds and carelessness, then the reputation of our nation and country will lag behind on global perspective and as we love our country before the birth of its sovereignty, so obviously we cannot let this happen. Clean environment means pure and safe country, earth, nation, healthy generation and a piece of imperturbability and fresh breath.

    (The writer is a student of Institute of Education and Research, University of Dhaka and a participant of National Environmental Writing Contest 2020. She can be reached at [email protected])

  • Cigarette Butts

    Cigarette Butts

    Alfi Shahreen Chowdhury: When you think about plastic waste, you think about plastic bottles, food wrappers, and grocery bags. Do you know what is the top plastic polluter is? It is cigarettes butts. Yes, that 30 mm extended filter is the leading plastic polluter. Not only smoking destroys health, but it also destroys the environment. Now, its butts are contributing to plastic waste.

    Each year the consumption of cigarettes is more than 5 trillion. The estimated weight of 5 trillion cigarettes butts is about 1 billion kg. The white wool looking thing inside the filter of cigarettes is actually a form of plastic called cellulose acetate. This plastic material takes eighteen months to ten years to decompose. That is a very long time. Harmful toxins are found inside these butts that are hazardous to marine life. It also slows the growth of plants.

    What is the solution to this problem? You may have been thinking that smoking should be ban. Because it is harmful to both health and the environment. However, in Bangladesh, many people earn their living by selling cigarettes. They will be unemployed. Another fact is that quitting smoking is not a piece of cake. Smoking is very addictive; the process of quitting is very long. A chain smoker has to go through a significant amount of means to quit smoking. If we ban smoking tomorrow, the people who are addicted to smoking will go through many severe mental health problems. The tobacco companies are paying a tremendous amount of tax to the government. So banning smoking is not the solution.

    I will suggest that the government should take action. The action is that every stall or shop that sells cigarettes must keep a particular bin. That bin is specifically designed to collect cigarette butts. Therefore, it is easier to collect cigarette butts. Another action should be that the government should penalize people who throw cigarette butts on the street. The fined money should be 50 takas, so it is not harsh on citizens.

    If you are thinking, we will collect these cigarette butts and dumped it in the river. You are wrong. Because if we do that, we are ultimately destroying the environment. So what should we do? We should recycle it. Now, I will tell you how we can reuse it. The cigarette butts have two major components, one is paper another is fiber. These papers can be turned into mosquito repellents. However, these fibers contain toxic materials that can be removed by using a particular chemical. This solution for recycling cigarette butts was made by an Indian man named Naman Gupta.

    This solution deals with one problem created by smoking. However, it does not deal with carbon emission released in the atmosphere due to smoking. Therefore, my writing is to solve a challenge, not to justify smoking.

    (The writer is a participant of National Environmental Writing Contest 2020 and can be reached at [email protected])

  • Bangladesh Faces the Anticipated Threats of Electronic Waste

    Bangladesh Faces the Anticipated Threats of Electronic Waste

    Maisha Binte Sultan: Today, men are crippled without the intervention of technologies. The sum of electronic waste or e-waste has increased exponentially over the last few decades with the unprecedented rise in electronic usage as it becomes more accessible and cheaper.

    According to the United Nation’s Global E-waste Monitor report 2020, 53.6 million metric tonnes of e-waste was generated in 2019 and only 17% was recycled in that year. Bangladesh is not spared from the curse rather it generated 400 thousand tonnes of e-waste in 2018 (20% increment each year) with only 3% recycling of the e-waste, as reported by the Department of Environment, but Environment and Social Development Organization (ESDO) reported it to be 2.95 million tonnes of e-waste with only 10% recycling. The toxic hazardous substances released from these e-wastes are amending the healthy environment that culminates in the disruption of human metabolism and aquatic ecosystem.

    The management of e-waste is becoming a challenge as the developing countries suffer more from the e-waste disposed by the developed countries. By enhancing the collection and recycling processes, the efficiency of e-waste management system is ensured. For that, both the formal and informal sectors must play pivotal role to tackle e-wastes.

    Annually, the major portion of e-waste is generated from the ship breaking yards in Bangladesh. The lack of investment and technically skilled human resources causes the ostensible recycling in the country to adopt unsafe measures like burning of the e-scraps and rest are thrown into landfills, rivers, drains, lakes, and open spaces. These releases toxic heavy metals like mercury, lead, cadmium and also plastics, copper, aluminum along with organic pollutants such as polychlorinated bi-phenyls, polybrominated diphenyl ethers etc. into the environment.

    Dismantling or shredding of e-waste, releases metal particulates into the immediate environment where the health of workers (particularly child laborers) are often seriously and chronically affected. The coarse particles directly contaminate soil; runoff accumulates hazardous components into the surface water which finds its way into underground water resources which is the main source of drinking water.

    The contaminants enter the food chain of aquatic lives and in food crops thus eventually end up in human body through the phenomenon of bio-accumulation and bio-magnification. When exceeds the threshold level of contaminants concentration in human body causes cell disruption, metal toxicity, asthma, cancer, infant mortality, disability and other life threatening diseases. Now, inadequate legal framework and dysfunctional waste management system in Bangladesh heavily challenges it to face the emerging threats of e-waste.

    The ever growing massive pile of e-waste is yet managed primarily by the informal sectors of Bangladesh. The current practices of e-waste management involve- Landfills, Incineration and improper recycling which are not environmental friendly and looks unsustainable in the long run. Lack of formal policies or direct enforcement of laws to manage e-waste caused the electronic companies to generate products without any consequences.

    An integrated formal-informal approach for proper collection, treatment, and disposal systems of e-waste can lessen the unsolicited threats. The most widely used Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policy and 3 Rs policy or Reduce, Reuse, Recycle initiatives are effective for integrated approach. EPR compels the companies to take back post-consumption products for recycling and to minimize the risk of electronic raw materials; precious metals like gold, platinum etc. are extracted from the recycling units worth billions of dollars. 

    Besides, adoption of eco-friendly recycling technologies and taxes on illegal dumping on landfill can only be possible through integrated approach. For the development of Bangladesh, it is inevitable to face the consequence of e-waste threat and act accordingly.

    (The writer is a participant of National Environmental Writing Contest 2020 and can be reached at [email protected])

  • Household Waste Disposal

    Household Waste Disposal

    Ahmed Jubaer: Bangladesh is an over populated country around 164,689,383 people lived in our country according to recent UN data and the population density in Bangladesh is 1265 per Km2. This mass population creates huge amount of house hold waste in their daily life which are comes into our environment.

    Today my writing is about house waste materials in Bangladesh and I will trying to provide some technical managerial concept about how to manage this waste by individual in our country. Household Waste is the domestic Waste or residential Waste materials generated by households. The amount of Household Waste produced by household can vary depending on factors like revenue and lifestyle.

    Waste generation in Bangladesh is around 22.4 million tons per year and it is projected to reach 47, 064 tons per day by 2025. (wiki). We may consider our house hold waste material in to two major group

    1. Organic Waste materials
    2. Inorganic Waste materials.

    Organic waste is the biodegradable waste which do not have any harmful effect in our environment except odor pollution. The sources of organic house hold waste materials are vegetables, fish, meat, potatoes etc. This are green waste as well.

    Inorganic waste are non-biodegradable things that have no effect of microorganism over it so that reason this waste materials have long time effect on environment. Plastic is the common inorganic house hold waste that have worse effect on our environment. Such as collapsing draining system, navigability of rivers, ponds, canals, and troughs that cause’s water blockage during monsoon season in Bangladesh with little raining. To know better what are the inorganic wastes it may be remained that all synthetic artificial products are turns into inorganic waste materials. So we need to take extra care to dispose it.

    There are usually three main concept of waste disposal where two of it are environmental friendly and the other is not so. Process are

    1. Sanitary Landfilling
    2. Recycling
    3. Incineration (not ecofriendly)

    None of above process are suitable for residence of Bangladesh to dispose waste because of time management or business but government can take advantages by providing some instruction to dump waste into dustbin.

    We can segregate waste in two different bags may labeled as organic waste and inorganic waste or eco waste and non eco waste. The benefit of this techniques is that disposal person of City Corporation finally not going to dispose all the wastes together in same process. Organic waste may dispose by landfilling where inorganics may with extra care for sanitary landfilling or recycling.

    Basically residence of commercial city like Dhaka, Chittagong should practice this as they are the main sufferer of water blockage during rainy season. Beside this proper management of waste can give us energy like electricity as well as gas which may be the next asset of Bangladesh. Tons of waste may turn into energy if we dispose waste in the right way.

    (The writer is a Chemist, MSc in Chemistry, University of Chittagong and a participant of National Environmental Writing Contest 2020. He can be reached at [email protected])

  • With love, nature

    With love, nature

    Dear People,

    How can you forget that from the beginning of your day till the end you have my love, warm and shelter. I send you sunshine to bring you light; I tell birds to sing waking you up. In the wake of a long walk in a sunny day you always have my trees to get sheltered, my trees provide you beautiful flowers and fresh fruits, you always have my wind to feel fresh.

    After the unbearable hot spell, I send you raindrops to get peace. From my Padma, Meghna, Jamuna, Karnaphuli, Buriganga, Brahmaputra you get water, food and travel facilities. My cox’s bazar, Kuakata protect you from heat waves, facilitates trade. My mountains keep you safe from climate change.

    Can you remember how Sundarbans has become a shield for you during Amphan a few days ago?  Did you ever imagine what you have gone through if there were no Sundarbans? How much have you taken from it – flowers, fruits, food and fuel. What else do you want? I have wide rows of trees, gardens where you can find purity. You visit the yard of my Ramna Park and other green sites to walk, enjoy fresh air and have a good time with your family and friends.

    Is it possible for you to survive a day without my love and shelter?

    Can’t I ask for love in return? It hurts me that you don’t love and care for me. How ruthlessly you are cutting down all my trees, filling the rivers to build a taller building. The blue of my sea has turned black for throwing away your rubbish. My rivers are now full of plastic waste; there are no waves or murmurs. You people made my parks and greeneries grimy and dull. You threw your all wastes on them. Now they are full of accumulated wastes like abandoned shoes, napkins, diapers, toothbrushes, plastic stuffs, food packets and so on. They are slowly drowning in garbage and can’t feel the grasses.

    Yet my love will always be there for you and I will protect you with absolute warmth. In return I want a little care and love. I know you can love; you can rejuvenate me if you want. I want to believe that your hearts are full of devotion and hope, not cruelty.  Come and fill my forest and hills with green again, bring back life to my rivers, fill them with the play of the waves, make my oceans blue once again, let my wildlife live in love.

    We will celebrate lives in a new, green and beautiful world where people will adore nature, where love comes back instead of love, where mankind and nature become best friends.

    Written by Afsana Alam (The writer is a participant of National Environmental Writing Contest 2020. She can be reached at [email protected])

  • Tobacco Control Law needs to be amended to achieve SDG: Professor Dr. A A M S Arefis Siddique

    Tobacco Control Law needs to be amended to achieve SDG: Professor Dr. A A M S Arefis Siddique

    Strong measures need to be taken immediately for reducing tobacco use in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as well as a tobacco free Bangladesh by 2040, as declared by the Prime Minister. A strong tobacco control law and its effective implementations are highly required in this regard. However, due to some loopholes in the existing tobacco control law, it fails to reduce tobacco use efficiently. Today, delegates from PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress), an anti-tobacco research and advocacy organization, had a discussion meeting on the necessity of amending tobacco control law and its way forward with Professor Dr. A A M S Arefin Siddique, Chairman of Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) and former Vice-Chancellor of Dhaka University. He said at the meeting that, “I trust that the current tobacco control law requires some amendment along with some additions to save the people from consuming such a toxic product like tobacco as well as to achieve SDG 3.

    Moreover, during these hard times of COVID-19 outbreak, I acknowledge that it is high time to swiftly take in to consideration the proposals of amendment of relevant laws raised by PROGGA and other tobacco control organizations in order to keep the public health and environment safe and sound.” He further underscored that “just as the intended targets of any law depend on its stringent implementation, likewise, we need to go forward in rendering timely amendment of the law and its firm implementation.” At the discussion meeting, PROGGA underscored some proposals of amendment in tobacco control law which included 1. Remove the exemptions in the smoking ban for restaurants and public transport; 2. Ban the display of tobacco products at points of sale; 3. Ban tobacco company ‘corporate social responsibility’ activities; 4. Ban the sale of single sticks and unpackaged smokeless tobacco; 5. Ban the sale and import of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products; 6. Allow for stricter rules on packaging including increases to the size of health warnings; etc.

  • Polythene Use Still Rampant

    Polythene Use Still Rampant

    Tahjeeb Hossain Chowdhury: The Polythene Use in Bangladesh is still rampant and excessive as ever. The point of the damages that polythene causes to the environment have been stressed more than ever, yet the mass populace has had a hard time discarding the usage of such materials. The worrying problem in this is the visible rejection of the environment-friendly alternatives made of Jute.

    The use of Polythene has been linked to water clogging, water pollution, fertility reduction, and more debilitating damages to the environment. There have been lots of activities to drop polythene as a regular usable alternative and more stress has been put on ‘Sonali Bag‘ made from Bio-Degradable components from Jute. Bangladesh historically has taken a stern stance on reducing the usage of Polythene as it was the first country to outright ban the use of Polythene in 2002. But the action never went beyond documentation as the authorities failed to properly implement the ban.

    The Sonali Bag alternative is not only beneficial to the environment but also had a great demand. But there has been a severe lack of financing on the project. Dr. Mubarak Hossain Khan, a leading scientist into the Sonali Bag project, has received interest from individuals and corporations alike. The Bangladesh Jute Mill Corporation or BJMC has been in contact with willing business associates who want to use the alternative bags. Polythene Bag Supplier Abdur Razzak being one of them. The technology and Raw Materials are plentiful in Bangladesh but the funding is not enough. There is a need for BDT 300 Crore in order to make the 20 ton Sonali Bags in order to meet the countrywide demand. Dr. Mubarak has said that there have been no steps from the Government to fund the production.

    Thus, Polythene use has remained mostly the same. Anti-polythene activities have also decreased drastically. A total of 44% drop from previous years. The fine collection has dropped from BDT 1.17 Crores to BDT43.71 Lakhs in recent years. The seizure of illegal Polythenes has gone down from 152.74 tons to 104.6 tons as well. 

    The cheap production cost, as well as political shelter towards the producers, can be some of the main reasons behind the usage of polythenes despite the visible demerits.

    (The writer is a marketing graduate, content writer, and data science enthusiast from Dhaka, reach him at [email protected])

    Photo Courtesy: Daily Sun

  • “Corona” – Worldwide context and our lives

    “Corona” – Worldwide context and our lives

    Zaman Tuhin Zohn: Honestly, what to do in times of global epidemics and pandemics? None of us have the answer to this question. Because there are probably no other people in the world who have witnessed such an epidemic before. Even in this age of technology, the “Covid-19” has shown us how far behind we are in terms of health care.

    Whether the “Covid-19” came naturally or was created in a laboratory, we kept it separate on social media or world leaders. We just look at how helpless mankind is today.

    How much the powerful countries are lost with medical supplies! In that context, I personally have never believed that our country, our policy makers and the general public will not be lost.

    In fact, in our country, “Dengue” epidemics often take shape. Just blame the mismanagement? Or incompetence? Or is it wrong to make a decision? As an ordinary citizen I can either blame everything, or accept everything. The funny thing is, I’m not doing either. For more than a month now, almost all the people in the country have been panicking about “Covid-19” or some of them don’t know anything about its danger.

    The lives of the garment workers were almost ridiculed. When the Ministry of Public Administration announced a general holiday on 25 March 20. People got leave and went for a walk. After the trip, public transport was stopped. But on 4th April 2020, the garment owners did not understand what to do or say? Believe me, even in a small organization, it is not possible to prepare in this short time to follow adequate hygiene. Probably a factor as to why they’re doing so poorly. After that there was nothing left to say, they went back and the matter spread.

    Some remained, so the factory was open. Someone was making a nominal mask, PPE. Someone finished the handiwork. “Covid-19” but kept spreading. People took to the streets hungry. The government only announced incentive packages for the garment industry. From April 5’2020, many factories announced lay-offs. Even in the way that is clearly stated in the law, again no one is following the law properly. Because, I said, not everyone has the experience of such a situation. On top of that the owners of this large industry hire people just to pass the audit, the owners know very well how much or space they get with adequate knowledge and practice of law.

    Anyway, this time the fog is still going on. Until the latest news, there will be no lay-off. After the meeting with the bonus. But the punch is elsewhere. The workers who have worked and those who have not worked out how and how rationally the percentage of their wages has been fixed does not match mine as ordinary people. Outside of these workers, this pandemic is only for government incentive packages. Those who give up their lives and work tirelessly, submit papers to scheduled banks, have their salaries, jobs, or life guarantees all there is to it from the trade unions, BGMA, or the Ministry of Labor. Not in anyone’s eyes.

    They are not owners, they are not workers, what they are, they are not found in any definition of the constitution. The names of their titles are not found in any schedule. But I used to get pictures, every day some people would just stand in front of thousands of people to collect signed papers. I named them “Educated slaves”. Those who can’t move down the street, can’t ask anyone. If the owner says 50% salary for now, they can’t even protest. But they are still going to different places with relief at the behest of the owner. Maybe this is the reason why many people are forced to be dishonest with the organization with a clear conscience.

    (The writer is Chairman to Board of Benzroot International Ltd. He can be reached at email: [email protected])

  • Dhaka Water War

    Dhaka Water War

    Fahmida Sattar: Dhaka water war, it is often said that mankind will experience a war over water in the near future. The claim has some truth in it, no doubt about that. But the term ‘Dhaka Water War’ is already an existing truth for Dhaka dwellers. It is indeed irony for a city surrounded by a river that it can not provide the least quantity of water. Experts often blame mismanagement and unplanned urbanization, rapid population growth in cities, etc. This article ‘Dhaka Water War’ will attempt to investigate the water crisis of Dhaka from a perspective where water is considered as a birth right not a mere commodity. In light of this idea, the article will also make an effort to provide some suggestions to lessen and then solve the water crisis, which has made the city of 15 million people a ‘living hell’. The focus will be on the community measures which require less budget and bureaucratic complexities.

    The Current Situation

    According to a report by The World Bank, Dhaka has the highest population growth rate for a city in the entire world. Around 3-4 million people, which constitute about one-fifth of the total population of this mega-city, live in slums. Most of the slums lack any proper water supply lines from WASA. Slum-dwellers standing in long rows, waiting for hours to collect a single gallon of water, is a very common scene.

    Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA) said they are producing 160 to 165 crore liters of water which is about 25 percent less than demand. It extracts groundwater using 620 deep tube wells. In addition, more than 2,200 private wells also draw water to serve high-rise buildings and various institutions. The underground water now provides 88% percent of total demand, which was 95% before The Saidabad Water Treatment Plant went into action in 1995. As a result, the subterranean water level drops about 3 meters every year. The rate is 53.75 meters in Mirpur, 18.59 in Mohammedpur and 8.22 meters in Sutrapur. This rapid fall of underground water level does not only create a crisis in the supply of water but also the vacuum left by this fall possesses a great threat of an earthquake. Besides saline water is intruding to fill up space, posing a threat to getting fresh drinking water in the future.

    As Bangladesh is often titled as `land of rivers’, the nearby rivers could be considered as a source of water to diminish the pressure on underground water. But WASA emits 1,000 tonnes of untreated human waste into the rivers adjacent to the city every day, which means river water is unfit for human consumption. The unmonitored industrial wastage system is worsening this problem day by day. 

    Community Measures of Dhaka Water War

    One of the key factors which have a major effect on the gradual descending of subterranean water level is that our city planners often leave little chance for the rain water to get into the ground. Because most of the city areas are paved over, rainwater cannot be absorbed by the ground. Instead, it runs across the pavement, picking up oil, street debris, animal feces, and other waste as it moves. Reducing the amount of runoff rainwater is very critical to ensure the satisfactory level of underground water.  

    Experts use the term ‘rainwater harvesting’ to discuss the process of accumulation and deposition of rainwater for reuse on-site or underground. It goes without saying that the best way of letting rainwater go into the ground is keeping the importance of permeable surface in the head. For areas where hard surfaces are necessary, pavements should be built in a way so that it let the rainwater reach a permeable surface.

    Building rain barrels is another effective way of reducing runoff and conserving rainwater. According to the tutorial, provided for the people of Minnesota, the USA by the state government, it needs only about half an hour to make a rain barrel at home. As Bangladesh yet to reach extreme water crisis conditions, building a community rain barrel is enough to tackle the present situation.

    Rain gardens are another community mean of rainwater harvesting. These are concave-shaped gardens that collect runoff from downspouts, driveways and other hard surfaces. Plants that tolerate “wet feet” should be planted in the bottom, while plants that need less water are planted on the edges.

    Rainwater harvesting has proven to be successful in other parts of the world. The 35 rain water harvesting systems working in NYC’s community gardens collect 422,900 gallons of water every year. That’s enough for 264,313 toilet flushes! The Institute of Water Management (IWM) shows if 60 percent of total rain water can be harvested in a city like Dhaka, it will be capable of providing 200 million liters of water every single day.

    In India, the state of Tamil Nadu was the first to make the conservation of rain water compulsory for every building to avoid the rapid decrease in the underground water level. As a result of this, Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu, saw a 50% rise in water level in five years. The other states gradually followed Tamil Nadu’s example and found surprising results. The state of Rajasthan receives a scant 400 mm of rainfall annually where the relatively dry western region of Rajshahi, receives 1600 mm of annual rainfall. The decade of the 1980s is Rajasthan is marked with the revival of the ancient tradition of creating Johads, large rain water reserve tanks. Now there are over 4,500 working Johads, lessening the water crisis of one of the driest places in this subcontinent.

    Conclusion

    In comparison with the vulnerable economy of our country, one can easily draw the conclusion that no quick solution in near at hand. First of all, the crisis should not be let to go out of control. This can easily be done by reducing the quantity of usage and wastage. Moreover, community measures are easy to be introduced and apparatuses are very available. As there is a wise saying, “All’s well that ends well”, the article is being concluded with good news. This November, Honorable LGRD minister has announced that the government is going to provide water supply lines in every slum area of the city within December 2015. One can raise doubt about whether it is really going to happen at last. But what can satisfy Dhaka dwellers is that this matter is taken to attention. The whole world today is talking about the impending severe water crisis. Bangladesh should not be left behind.

    The writer is a student at the University of Development Alternative (UODA).

    Photo Courtesy: The Daily Star