Nilima Jahan

In the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, a large number of people have opted for ordering groceries online from the safety of their homes.

For children on the streets, exploitation, abuse, and neglect is just an everyday affair. And overlooking them, is a part of our everyday affair.

Although Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi yesterday urged the public to avoid panic buying amid the looming coronavirus threat, the news of the first death from Covid-19 in Bangladesh aggravated the buying spree among consumers for rice, potatoes, lentils, onions, garlic and ginger.

With calls ringing louder for raising awareness on cleanliness and “social distancing” in wake of coronavirus infections being reported in the country every day, a large population group of the capital -- who live in cramped slums with poor hygiene standards -- appears to be largely clueless about the virus and precautions needed.

Still bearing the trauma of her last dialysis, Marjia Rabbani Shoshi was speaking with a smile until the subject of the Organ Transplantation Act 1999 (amended in 2018) came up.

“I am building a new path for your child. Sowing seeds of courage. Your daughter will make those bloom into radiant flowers and your son will think it is absolutely normal.”

It was not too long ago that this correspondent reported an incident of violence against her 16-year-old college-going cousin, who was beaten up with sandals by some stalkers in a village market, where hundreds of bystanders watched without protesting.

Nine out of 10 children experience some form of violent disciplining by their caregivers, according to a recent survey by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) and Unicef, released yesterday.

As bodies after bodies were wheeled into Dhaka Medical College’s morgue on February 21 last year, there was no dearth of offers of help.

Children huddled in a corner huffing plastic bags is a common sight in Dhaka. Though rehabilitation efforts are needed urgently, the authorities that should be concerned only seem to be shifting the responsibility from one to other, while the children continue to suffer on the streets.

There is a major concern over the disposal of tonnes of laminated campaign posters without causing further damage to the environment and public health.

Combating the mosquito menace was a key promise in the manifesto of Mohammad Hanif, who became the first elected mayor of the undivided Dhaka City Corporation in 1994.

Sharifa Begum of Kapasia in Gazipur is the sole caretaker of her one-bigha homestead garden. In addition to doing all the household chores alone, 55-year-old Sharifa grows more than 20 species of pesticide-free fruits and vegetables -- mango, lychee, banana, palm, jackfruit, gourd, green chilis, garlic, pumpkin, cucumber and more -- every year.

Female agro-producers in rural areas play a vital role in the agricultural sector. However, the majority struggle to market their products at local and regional markets and are deprived of fair prices in the process.

Have you ever heard of helpline 109? Or, are you familiar with mobile app “Joy”? Similar to the national emergency helpline 999, these two services are dedicated to receiving complaints of harassment, sexual hostility, violence and potential threats against women. But they stay unknown to many.

The first time she stood up to her stalker, unable to take months of harassment, she was beaten up in public, where hundreds of bystanders stood by and watched.

2019 has not been a comfortable year for the media globally. While nobody has yet tallied up the numbers internationally, 7,200 jobs were lost just in the U.S., according to the business and finance news organisation Business Insider’s own calculation.

Impunity under the radar

Last year, 24-year-old Otoshi* divorced her husband because she had an unhappy and abusive conjugal life. Even today, she hasn’t been able to share the actual reason behind her divorce with her family members, except with her mother. The rest of her family and relatives blame her for failing to lead a domestic life with her well-off husband with a government job.

It took two years for 42-year-old Solema Begum to meet a gynaecologist for a lump that was developing in one of her breasts.