Different social and private organisations organised various programmes including rally, discussion and seminar on the occasion.

Bangladesh Society of Haematology, Bangladesh Thalassemia Foundation, Thalassemia Welfare Society (TWS) and Thalassemia Foundation Bangladesh (TFB) jointly organised a rally that paraded different city streets near Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) in the morning.

A discussion followed at Birdem Hospital auditorium that Health Adviser Dr ASM Matiur Rahman attended as the chief guest.

Expressing concern over the increasing rate of thalassemia patients in the country the adviser said that around seven percent of the country's total population are suffering from thalassemia.

"The number of thalassemia patients is increasing day by day due to lack of proper knowledge about the disease," he said adding "Every year about 6000 children are born in Bangladesh with thalassemia."

The adviser urged all to check blood before marriage as children of parents having abnormal haemoglobin composition in their blood are at higher risk of thalassemia.

While presiding over the discussion, Prof MA Rashid, president of Bangladesh Society of Haematology, emphasised on taking preventive measures and asked for establishing well-equipped Haematology department in all medical colleges and hospitals to ensure early diagnosis of the disease.

Dr ABM Yunus, a member of Bangladesh Society of Haematology, underscored the need for eliminating superstitions and suggested to consult specialist doctors.

Prof Dr MA Khan, general secretary of Bangladesh Society of Haematology and its member Dr Masuda Begum, Dr Md Abdur Rahim of Bangladesh Thalassemia Foundation and Prof Dr Md Jalilur Rahman, president of TWS, also spoke on the occasion.

Bangladesh Thalassemia Society, Medicine Club and Grameenphone jointly organised another discussion at Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre (BCFCC) in the city.

Although almost 1.5 crore people in the country are thalassemia carrier, there is no national policy to combat thalassemia, speakers said at the discussion.

They also pointed out the insufficiency of thalassemia diagnosis mechanisms, prenatal diagnosis mechanisms and absence of countrywide database and baseline research.

While presenting the keynote paper, Prof Abid Hossain Mollah of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital recommended formulating thalassemia support groups in national level and compliance of the administrative, political and professional bodies to combat the disease.

The speakers also urged people to donate blood regularly as 13 percent of the professional donors are found suffering from Hepatitis B and C that could be hazardous for the patients.

They also stressed the need for a DNA laboratory and demanded the caretaker government increase budget allocation in health sector.

Health adviser also attended the discussion as the chief guest while National Professor MR Khan, Managing Director of Grameenphone Erik Aas, Pro-Vice Chancellor of BSMMU Prof MA Mannan and Adviser of Bangladesh Thalassemia Society Syed Didar Bakht also spoke.