Munna's blog

    By Mehedi Hassan Munna “What should I do sir, queries a 14-year-old tannery worker? I only know this job. I don’t enjoy it, but I have no other way to earn a livelihood.” “I frequently get ill. My father died three years ago. That’s why my mother and I have to do the same job for sustenance,” Rayhan Hossain who works at a leather factory in Hazaribagh of the capital, went on to express his feelings.  Alike Rayhan’s are the stories of thousands of child labourers of the Hazaribagh tanneries. Despite knowing of the health risks, they are working only for their livelihood.  Of all the other workers there, the child labourers are mostly at a great health risk.  Although the High Court had earlier ordered relocation of 154 tanneries from Hazaribagh to the new leather complex at Savar, some 60 to 70 tanneries are still at work in Hazaribagh.  The Department of Environment had stopped electricity and gas supplies to reduce their activity. But th...

   By Mehedi Hassan Munna Be they in the bedroom or drawing room, various kinds of showpieces increase the beauty of a house. If the showpieces are of native materials, the beauty is inexplicable. Not only do utensils made of home-got materials uphold our culture and tradition, but they also bring charming variations in our homes. If anybody is in the mindset to get all necessary items from one place, Doyel Chattar (magpie robin crossing) in the Dhaka University campus area is the accurate place for them. A large number of clay, jute, cane and bamboo-made items are available at the Doyel Chattar, west of the Bangladesh Shishu Academy in the capital. The most desirable and interesting items include clay drums, terracotta, clay pitas, potions, curd, molasses, sesame, sweets, rosette, flower tub, colorful horses, various color dolls; various types of birds, tubes, water caps, charity bank, bowls, nets, wheel and idols. The place is crowded with people of different ...

  By Mehedi Hassan Munna Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is one of the major non-communicable diseases, affecting over a quarter of the adult population in Bangladesh. According to the World Health Organization, about 17 million deaths occur worldwide due to CVDs, of which hypertension alone accounts for 9.4 million. A government survey claims an estimated 12 million people in Bangladesh (6.2 million men and 5.8 million women) are hypertensive. Among them, 25 to 40 year old people are more prone to the malady. Rapid urbanisation, increased life expectancy, unhealthy diet and changes of lifestyle have led to an increase in the rate of CVD, including hypertension in Bangladesh. The risk of hypertension is significantly associated with older age, sex, education, place of residence, working status, workplace, wealth index and diabetes. Hypertension significantly contributes to the burden of cardiovascular diseases, stroke, kidney failure, disability, and pr...

Staff Correspondent Bangladesh now demonstrates an example of unique and peaceful coexistence of all religious faiths. Even foreigners can now get scope to enjoy any religious festival without fear and anxiety—the much-needed environment that virtually got destroyed after painful Holey Artisan incident where more than 22 people, including 17 foreigners, were killed. The traditionally Hindu festival transcends religious as well as communal barriers, as celebrants danced, sang and splashed their friends and family with coloured powder and water. The two-day Holi, a spring festival of colours, ended at Dhaka’s Shankharibazar with ripples of excitement and amusement on Friday. This traditionally Hindu festival transcends religious as well as communal barriers, as celebrants danced, sang and splashed their friends and family with coloured powder and water. People from all walks of life, including Muslims and even foreigners, got doused with colours on the day,...

Prof Dr Asit Baran Adhikary, one of the country’s leading cardiac surgeons, successfully conducted bypass surgery without the use of anesthetics.  He is the chairman of Cardiac Surgery Department and chief of the special unit at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University.  During his successful career in cardiac surgery, he has received Gold Medal from the Government of Bangladesh in addition to many national and international awards.  In an interview with Bangladesh Post, he answered many questions on heart-related diseases. The interview was conducted by Mehedi Hassan Munna. Any type of heart-related problem beginning from the womb to any age is called heart disease. BD Post: What are the kinds of heart diseases? Dr Asit: There are various kinds of heart diseases such as – (1) congenital heart disease or by-birth heart disease (2) Rheumatoid arthritis (3) Coronary artery disease (4) Cardiac tumors (5) Microbial Cardiac Infections (6) Heart block or conductive ab...

By Mehedi Hassan Munna Despite once being the heart of Dhaka city, the Buriganga River is now losing its identity with each passing day. Encroachment and pollution in tandem have put the life of the river at stake. Thousands of factories and inhabitants have cropped up along both banks of the river, and with them, immense waste disposal into the river, leaving it in dire straits. During a visit to the areas, this correspondent found wood and garbage lying on the river bank. In addition to the tanneries in Hazaribagh, hundreds of polythene and plastic recycling factories in Lalbagh, Islambagh, Kamarigirchar, and more than two hundred dyeing factories have sprouted in Keraniganj, on the encroached river banks. In addition, chemical-mixed water from thousands of different mills and factories in Shyampur, Pagla and Fatulla areas is polluting the water of the river. Although thousands of tonnes of trash and garbage are being dumped into the river every year, the env...

By Mehedi Hassan Munna After the Buriganga river, the tannery waste is now out to contaminate the Dhaleshwari, posing a serious environmental hazard. Liquid waste together with hazardous chemicals from Savar tannery industrial estate is being dumped into the river through a pipe as the central effluent treatment plant is yet to be fully functional. To save the Buriganga and its adjacent areas from pollution, tanneries have been relocated to Savar tannery estate from Hazaribagh, but now the tanneries have turned to poisoning Dhaleshwari. Thus, the relocation is not doing any good as the CETP and other arrangements to prevent pollution at the new leather industry zone on the outskirts of the capital have not been ensured yet. During a recent visit at Savar tannery village, this correspondent found chemical-mixed untreated tannery waste is being discharged in an open place due to poor drainage facilities. Later, the toxic waste is being outpoured in the Dhaleshwari through ...