Many healthcare facilities across the capital have been breaching their legal obligations on safe disposal of medical waste, but a decade-old system is failing to hold them accountable.
A 250-bed hospital in Dhanmondi produces about 4,000 litres of liquid waste a day. The liquid is treated to ensure that it doesn’t spread infection when disposed of.
A worker hacks away at a pipe-like object at a small scrap shop in Old Dhaka’s Islambagh. The sound of his hammer crashing against the pipe is instantly followed by bits of plastic flying off in all directions. Flecks of yellow and red tint the air.
He is an apparent big shot in the black market of medical recyclables. Probably in his late thirties, the man keeps close supervision over his business and is careful to leave no footprints behind.
At a time when safe disposal of medical waste is a nationwide concern, two waste treatment devices have been sitting idle since 2015.
It is always the same story – a Facebook image, post, or message hurting religious sentiments, an outpouring of rage both on social media and on the streets, ending in attacks on minority communities.
A battle between the Chattogram customs and fish feed importers over the jurisdiction of the port authority to check hazardous substances in imported consignments has laid bare loopholes in the import policy.
Samira Begum’s eyes were itchy and watery for a few days when she finally decided to get a check-up at the Puthia Upazila Health Complex of Rajshahi on September 17.
As the sun lights up the horizon, Osman Goni starts patrolling the Cox’s Bazar sea beach. While waves crash at his feet, his eyes keep searching the distance for anyone who might need help. A team of 26 lifeguards stands ready for his order to rescue people lost in the waves.
Shaheen Alam heard his mother’s voice crack on the other end of the phone, as she pleaded with him to rescue her from the torture by a trafficking network in Oman. She had gone there in May after being promised a decent job as a hospital cleaner. It was a trap.
Dengue infections and Aedes mosquito prevalence are higher in areas with too many multistory buildings and shiny infrastructures adorned with decorative greeneries, although there are a few exceptions, analysis of two government surveys shows.
Dengue has spread to 50 districts with a record 1,096 patients having been diagnosed with the viral disease yesterday alone.
Showing symptoms of dengue, Kazi Jabunnahar, 29, went to a nearby private hospital from her Banasree house about two weeks ago.
Dengue may be fatal for those who had already contracted the disease before, with doctors suggesting immediate treatment at the first sign of a fever for everyone.
When human rights are violated, the job of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) is to provide the victims with legal aid. It can even stand by the victims in courts. The rights body also has the authority to recommend compensations to the victims, or their
Rohan let out frequent shrieks of pain, his eyes fixed on the ceiling with teardrops rolling down on the pillow. Curtains were drawn, lights switched off. The ceiling fan was on full speed and his mother was rubbing his arms and legs, waiting for the morphine to kick in.
Even after a decade spent discussing, drafting and re-drafting, the National Human Rights Commission has not yet formulated a set of rules, which is supposed to outline the detailed procedure of how it will address human rights violations.
Contrary to popular belief, the National Human Rights Commission is armed with ample power to help ensure justice and even compensation for victims of rights violation.