Editorial

Railway line completion long overdue

We have long stopped being surprised by news of government projects overrunning time and cost, but the Khulna-Mongla Port Railway Project has
More doctors are putting their lives at risk

New figures released by Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA) have once again put the spotlight on the harsh toll that the Covid-19 pandemic is
Education and employment for the physically challenged

Jahanara Akhter’s story (published in this paper yesterday) is nothing short of exhilarating. A young girl born in an impoverished family in Ghatail
Leave the forest alone!

It is unfortunate that despite all the warnings from environmentalists regarding the dangers of loss of forest cover in the context of our planet’s
Covid-19 shouldn’t detract us from other public health risks

Not very long ago we had warned the administration to initiate actions to thwart a dengue onslaught, starting with anti-dengue drives by the two city
BSF shootings are not stopping

The way the Indian Border Security Force has been killing Bangladeshi nationals on a regular basis makes us wonder why, despite many flag meetings
Exorbitant oxygen bills putting extra burden on patients

We are shocked to learn that some private hospitals are charging patients higher than usual for oxygen support during a national health crisis.
Day labourers and others are facing hunger

A report in this paper yesterday highlighted the grim reality faced by day labourers as they wait indefinitely for jobs to come their way. Their lives
Mymensingh’s Ali sets a benevolent example

It is heartening to learn from a recent report published in this daily that a 49-year-old poet in Mymensingh named Ali Yusuf has been selflessly
Editorial: Too many committees spoil the broth

From the onset of the pandemic, citizens have been confused and frustrated about the government’s lack of vision and direction in addressing the
Editorial: Brutal torture inflicted on a child domestic worker!

The brutal torture of a child domestic worker in the capital’s Uttara has once again exposed the inhuman conditions in which many of our child domestic workers are forced to live.
Dhaka University approaches its 100th year

Dhaka University was established 99 years ago on July 1, 1921.
Farmers in flood-hit areas need urgent protection

Over the last few days, large swathes of land in the north and north-eastern districts of Bangladesh have been inundated, creating fears of farmers incurring huge losses as croplands have become submerged under flood waters.
Levying fees on Covid-19 testing unacceptable

At a time when Bangladesh still lags behind many countries in terms of conducting aggressive testing of people, as suggested by the World Health
Doing a little extra for the poor every day

The world has perhaps never been hungrier. Even as lockdowns are being eased in many countries, the ravages of the coronavirus continue
Murder on the Buriganga

Yet another launch capsize, another very large number of casualties, many left orphaned, many parents left to mourn the deaths of their children,
Anomalies in Covid-19 testing at Chattogram’s BITID

Shocking situation at the Bangladesh Institute of Tropical and Infectious Diseases (BITID) in Chattogram. There have been a growing number of
Thousands of jute mill workers must be saved from destitution

The end of the state-owned jute industry that has closed down 22 jute mills and laid off around 25,000 workers was a tragedy waiting to happen.
Is it deliberate oversight or connivance?

To say it is a mere irregularity would not really portray the scope of corruption by a group of people to pocket government money meant for the poor.
Making up for lost education

One of the most devastating fallouts of the Covid-19 pandemic has been the huge gap in education especially for students whose academic year has been completely disrupted with important board exams such as the HSC being postponed. More than one million students are expected to take the HSC exams, for example, at over 9,000 educational institutions across the country.
Patients die while ICU beds lie idle!

While many critically ill patients, including those with Covid-19, are in dire need of ICU beds, it is frustrating to learn that many of the ICU beds in
ACC’s unflattering report on the health directorate

It is not shocking that the Anti-Corruption Commission sent a report to the health ministry revealing widespread irregularities in the purchase of
Slum dwellers stuck in a vicious cycle of debt

A report published in this daily on June 26 paints a bleak picture of the plight of urban slum dwellers who, having lost their regular income since the
Daktarkhana offers health services and hope

When statistics indicate that 3,000-plus daily cases are becoming the new normal, and our healthcare sector is in a race against time to tackle the waves of patients (Covid-19 positive and otherwise) pouring in from all walks of life, a recent report in this daily tells us of Daktarkhana, an exemplary initiative to set up general physician (GP) centres to treat patients with general ailments.
A worrying shortage of Covid-19 testing kits

We are concerned to learn that some of the laboratories in the country had to suspend conducting Covid-19 tests while many are not being able to
Police brutality cannot go unpunished

The High Court has asked the Jashore civil surgeon to submit a report on the physical condition of college student Imran Hossain, whose kidney was damaged due to alleged police torture in Jashore.
Malaysia to no longer recruit migrant workers

On June 22, Malaysian authorities announced that they will no longer recruit foreign workers until at least the end of the year, as they have decided to prioritise jobs for locals amid the economic slowdown caused by the global pandemic.
Frightening Unicef predictions of possible child deaths

We are alarmed to learn from a Unicef report that Bangladesh could see additional deaths of 28,000 children in the next six months in a worst-case
Take heed of the concerns of Chinese medical experts

The Chinese medical team, which wrapped up its short visit to Bangladesh on Monday, has made some very important observations on Bangladesh’s
Editorial: Time to get rid of the DSA for good

The illusion is long gone—or perhaps, as media observers remind us, it was never there—the illusion created by the proponents of the Digital