Helemul Alam

Designated spots lie idle, city corporations blame indifference of residents

Despite Eid-ul-Azha being just two days away, the cattle markets of Dhaka city have not yet gained momentum due to a lack of customers. Till yesterday evening, a good number of sacrificial animals, especially bulls, were present at all 16 cattle markets in Dhaka, but customer turnout was notably low until 5:00pm.

Till this evening, a number of sacrificial animals, especially bulls, were present at all 16 cattle markets in Dhaka, but customer turnout was notably low until 5:00pm

A significant number of middle and large-sized bulls have been brought to various cattle markets in Dhaka, but the supply of small bulls remains low despite high demand.

On the footpath next to the General Post Office in the capital, Sohel Howlader sells children’s clothes from a small table.

Despite a large number of sacrificial animals being on sale at all 16 cattle markets in Dhaka, the prices are still quite high.

Despite the government’s announcement of a surplus of sacrificial animals this year, their prices remain high so far, compared to the same time last year.

After last year witnessed the highest number of dengue fatalities, it seemed the situation couldn’t get any worse. However, dengue fatalities this year till May are already 21 more than the same period last year, indicating the worst is yet to come.

Despite a record-breaking outbreak last year, with more than 1,705 deaths, the authorities concerned are yet to establish a comprehensive surveillance system to track and control the Aedes mosquitoes, the carrier of the deadly dengue virus.

The number of dengue patients will be higher this year than last year and most of the cases will be from outside Dhaka, said experts.

While there are sidewalks on both sides of the road from Farmgate’s Ananda Cinema Hall to Panthapath intersection, they are hardly functional.

The rain will create more breeding places for the Aedes mosquitoes that will eventually spread the deadly dengue virus, experts warn, urging the authorities to act now.

Towara, a resident of Narayanganj, came to Chawkbazar yesterday on the first day of Ramadan to try out its well-renowned iftar for the first time in her life.

The number of dengue cases recorded this January and February is higher compared to the first two months of the previous 23 years, raising the spectre of another deadly outbreak of the mosquito-borne disease.

If the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha is not held accountable for how it functions, fires will continue to happen, like the one that claimed 46 lives in Dhaka on February 29, eminent architect Tanwir Nawaz said in an interview with The Daily Star.

Many building owners do not comply with fire safety regulations, taking advantage of conflicting legal definitions of high-rise buildings, according to urban experts.

After deadly fires like the one on Thursday that claimed 46 lives, authorities momentarily wake up from their slumber to prevent recurrences, but any such initiative loses steam as they fail to take concerted action.

Anyone visiting Dhaka’s Dania area will find several rickshaw garages on land, which several decades back used to be a large pond.

Honking horns blend with frustrated shouts of  office-goers, students and patients stuck at gridlocks -- this is the daily reality of the Mayor Annisul Huq Road (Tejgaon-Satrasta).

Cold weather persisting for almost three weeks is harming paddy and potato farming in different districts while vegetable growers fear pest attacks amid foggy conditions will damage their produce.