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Bangladesh joins the rest of the world today to mark World Tuberculosis Day in the wake of a remarkable rise in the rate of detection.
   According to the National Tuberculosis Control Programme, the percentage of detection in 2005 was 61, up from 46 in 2004 and 35 in 2003.
   More than 300,000 new cases, including 137,000 sputum smear-positive pulmonary cases, are reported and 70,000 TB-related deaths occur every year, said Dr Viqarunnesa Begum, manager of the TB control programme, when talking to New Age on Thursday.
   She claimed the introduction of directly observed treatment short-course or DOTS had returned 84 per success for the NTCP and its partners in the treatment of smear-positive patients since 2003.
   Still, Bangladesh ranks fifth in the World Health Organisation index of 22 ‘tuberculosis-burned’ countries in the world.
   India tops the list with 1.7 million cases a year, followed by China, Indonesia, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Ethiopia and South Africa, according to the WHO report, released every year to mark tuberculosis day.
   Tuberculosis continues to be a major public health problem in Bangladesh, said Asif Mujtaba Mahmud of the respiratory medicine department at the National Institute of Diseases of Chest and Hospital.
   The capital Dhaka is more vulnerable to the spread of the disease as it is overcrowded, said Viqarunnesa.
   ‘Malnutrition, overcrowding, unhealthy environment and unhygienic sanitation help TB to spread in the industrial area as well,’ she said. ‘Garment workers, rickshaw pullers, day labourers, small traders and vendors, who live in slums, where six to ten persons share one room, are more vulnerable.’
   Garment factories are a major breeding ground for tuberculosis as these are overcrowded with workers who deal with cottons and cloths, she said.
   Viqarunnesa identified prisons as another high-risk area. ‘The prisons are overcrowded with people who come mostly from economically disadvantaged sections of society. Besides, these are unhygienic and poorly ventilated.’
   The NTCP runs 120 centres, including one at the Dhaka Central Jail, where diagnosis of and treatment for TB patients are provided.
   The directly observed treatment short-course has proved to be very effective in curing tuberculosis across the world, as it is cheap and easy, she said.
   Both patients and doctor must ensure that the six-month course is completed and the correct dosage of anti-TB medicines is taken, she added. ‘People must be made to understand that any break in the treatment will only lead to multi-drug resistant TB, which can be fatal. The cost of treatment in the case of multi-drug resistant TB is 100 times more than that of regular TB.’
   Muhammad Enamul Haque, superintendent of the Tuberculosis Control and Training Institute, told New Age that people should visit the TB centres in their locality and have their mucus tested ‘if symptoms of coughs continued for three weeks or more (with or without phlegm accompanied by blood’.
   He said similar caution should be exercised in the case of prolonged fever, chest pain, lethargy and loss of appetite.
   Enamul Haque added that people must also be made aware that TB is no longer fatal and can be cured, and its treatment is free.
   The theme for tuberculosis day this year ‘DOTS for all and all for DOTS’.

The GSM mobile phone operators from the Asia Pacific region have urged the telecommunications regulators to ensure that regulations are growth-friendly to create a stable regulatory environment for investment as well as for the benefit of customers.
    ‘It was recognised that regulatory regimes in the emerging markets need to be more supportive for the operators,’ said Simon Zhang, the outgoing chairman of the GSM Asia Pacific at a press conference on Thursday, on the concluding day of the two-day 24th GSM Asia Pacific regional conference in Dhaka.
    ‘It is important that the conditions of operations should not be changed on day to day basis as this harms the operators,’ Simon said at the press conference.
   He said GSM operators in all countries are contributing significantly towards the economy of every country with investments, creation of employment and business in the emerging markets.
   ‘Operators will feel comfortable if the regulators consult with them before taking any decision,’ said Mehboob Chowdhury, the chief commercial officer of mobile phone operator, Banglalink, who has been elected the new president of the GSMAP for 2006-07.
   The GSM Asia Pacific, the regional interest group of the GSM association, is a global trade association having more than 679 GSM operators across 210 countries of the world.
   The two-day conference held at Dhaka Sheraton hotel also observed that the Asia Pacific region was the fastest growing mobile telecommunications market in the world which was rapidly bridging the digital divide in the region.
   The conference, hosted by Banglalink, stressed the need for simplifications of the products and service for the customers and quality improvement of the networks.
   A total of 21 papers were presented by various operators and also companies marketing technologies at the conference. Some 111 delegates including 60 from different operators in the region participated in the conference.

The High Court on Thursday granted ad interim anticipatory bail to Shahin Sultana Shanta, a victim of police repression during the 14-party programme to lay siege to the Election Commission Secretariat on March 12, and her lawyer husband in three criminal cases.
   Two of the three cases — one for extortion in Mohammadpur area and another for mugging in Mirpur — were filed with the chief metropolitan magistrate’s court of Dhaka on Wednesday by Daud Miah and Firoz Miah.
   Daud alleged that Shanta and her husband demanded Tk 1 lakh and extorted Tk 20,000 from him on March 11, while Firoz complained that the couple entered his house and took away Tk 45,000 on March 10.
   As a High Court bench of Justice MA Rashid and Justice M Mizanur Rahman Bhuiyan granted pre-arrest bail to the couple in two cases of extortion and mugging, the police immediately filed another complaint case with the chief metropolitan magistrate’s court of Dhaka against Shanta under Explosives Substance Act.
   The couple again moved to the same High Court bench that granted them ad interim anticipatory bail also in the new case.
   The court also issued rules on the government to explain why they should not be granted anticipatory bail in all those cases.
   The ad interim bail will remain effective till disposal of the rule, the court ordered.
   The court passed the orders after hearing separate petitions filed by Shanta and her husband.
   Pleading for the petitioners, Amirul Islam argued that the police managed to get the false cases filed in retaliation to a case filed against two deputy commissioners of police and other cops for torturing Shanta on March 12.

The home ministers from seven-nation SAARC regional grouping will assemble here for a two-day meet from May 10, officials said.
   The foreign secretary, Hemayetuddin, told a press briefing that the home ministers would meet here for the first time under the grouping.
   During the 13th SAARC summit here in November 2005, the heads of state and government of the grouping said terrorism violated the fundamental values of the SAARC charter and the United Nations, and constituted one of the most critical threats to international peace and security.
   Diplomatic sources said the SAARC home secretaries would meet here before the meeting of the ministers.
   ‘As decided by the SAARC top leaders, the seven-nation grouping believes that there should not be any double standards in the fight against terrorism,’ official sources said.
   The meeting of the home ministers would discuss as how to strengthen cooperation by exchanging information, coordination and cooperation among the relevant agencies.

The National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Port on Thursday started a long march towards Phulbari in Dinajpur from Dhaka to protest against coal extraction from the Phulbari coal mine in opencast method.
   Prior to the march, the committee leaders at a protest rally at Muktangan said the BNP-Jamaat alliance government was trying to lease the coal mine to the Asia Energy Company.
   Terming the lease contrary to the national interests, the coordinator of the committee said they would resist the government’s move at any cost.
   The marchers later brought out a procession in the capital city and started the march by bus.
   Meanwhile, the committee held roadside rallies at different places, including Azampur in Dhaka, Joydebpur Chaurasta in Gazipur, Pakulla and Alenga in Tangail, and Sirajganj.
   The committee’s member-secretary, Professor Anu Muhammad, urged the people to be united to resist the government’s initiative of leasing the coal mine.
   After spending the night at Sirajganj, the committee resumes the march today with holding a rally at Sirajganj crossing. It will also hold wayside rallies at Bhuiyagati, Chandaikona, Sherpur, Bogra, and Gobindaganj.
   On the final day, the marchers will arrange rallies at Ghoraghat and Phulbari in Dinajpur.

The European Commission has invited proposals from NGOs for non-formal primary education in Bangladesh.
   The proposals should be submitted by June 25 by those who have documented experience in provision of non-formal education services to out-of-school children.
   The call is open for non-profit making NGOs registered at the NGO affairs bureau and for international organisations.
   The call entails grants of 29 million euros. Individual projects may receive a maximum of 9.6 million euros. The EC will finance 60 to 95 per cent of total project cost. The duration of the project will be maximum 48 months.
   The grant is aimed at qualitative improvement and quantitative expansion of non-formal primary education services thereby creating, maintaining and strengthening links with formal primary education system in Bangladesh.
   NGOs may contact EC website www.eudelbangladesh.org. for further details.

Several hundred people gathered at the Central Shaheed Minar on Thursday afternoon demanding an end to communal politics.
   They also demanded reinstatement of the 1972 constitution, and repeal of all the amendments against its spirit, trial of the war criminals, and declaring them ineligible to contest any general elections.
   Noted academic and women activist, Hena Das, chaired the programme. Apart from Kamal Lohani, the relatives of the Netrakona blast victims took part in rally.
   Bikkhubdha Deshbasi (enraged countrymen) arranged the rally that was followed by a procession.
   The organisers said they would hold the same programmes at the divisional and district headquarters in future to mobilise public opinion against communal politics.
   The organisation had been bringing out processions against communalism every Friday since December 14, 2005.

The stranded Pakistanis in Bangladesh on Thursday suspended their self-immolation programme, following an assurance from the government of meeting their demand for initiating a ‘tripartite meeting’ to resolve the problem relating to their repatriation.
   As part of the continuous agitation programme, some members of the Stranded Pakistanis General Repatriation Committee wearing shroud were ready for self-immolation at the Geneva camp in Dhaka city’s Mohammadpur area since early Thursday.
   A delegation of the government officials of Thursday noon visited the spot where the stranded Pakistanis were preparing for self-immolation and requested them to suspend their programme.
   The government delegation led by director general of the Directorate of Relief and Rehabilitation assured them of holding a meeting on March 30.
   Assured, the SPGRC suspended their programme. Earlier, they threatened with going ahead with their self-immolation programme if their demands, including a schedule for a tripartite meeting between Pakistan and Bangladesh with participation of SPGRC to resolve their repatriation issue, were not met by midnight of March 22.
   The stranded Pakistanis, who have been languishing in various camps in Bangladesh since 1971, are observing different programme, including token hunger strikes at its different branch offices in the city to press home their demands.

About 87 per cent of the enrolled students in primary schools are found infested with intestinal worms, says a baseline survey conducted by school health and nutrition programme, Save the Children, USA.
   According to the survey carried out at Nasirnagar, 63 per cent of children defecated in the open field while only 8 per cent had access to sanitary latrines at home.
   The figures were revealed at a roundtable discussion held at the Spectra Convention Centre on Thursday. Save the Children, USA and the daily Star organised the discussion on ‘achieving health for completion of education’.
   The daily Star editor, Mahfuz Anam, moderated the discussion while the Save the Children deputy country director Anuradha Harinarayan chaired it.
   Nizam Uddin Ahmed, director of health, population and nutrition programme, in his keynote paper said 56 per cent of children in primary schools suffer some degree of anaemia while 20 per cent are affected with stunting, and 10 per cent of parents of sick children seek medicare from the qualified healthcare providers.
   Speakers reached a consensus on the need for inter-ministerial collaboration to achieve health and nutrition services in
   primary education and said lack of political will was backing the failure of primary health education.
   Sound health would facilitate education and that would help to eradicate poverty, the speakers said stressing on revisit the teachers’ curricula to update the education and to develop a content of public health approach.
   They also recommended involvement of teachers, parents, and school management committees to address health needs of school children, and contextual needs of the community to intensify community mobilisation, utilise education system for ensuring health services and to ensure more active role of the school management committees and parents-teachers
   association.
   Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman, director, essential service package, primary healthcare, Dr Sukumar Sarkar, project management specialist, health and nutrition section, USAID, Mohammad Habibur Rahman, director, education sector,
   Save the Children, Mahe
   Jabin Masud, head, school feeding programme, World Food Programme, Dr Faruk Ahmed, director, health, population and nutrition section, BRAC, and MA Rashid, executive director, NGO-Forum, were also present at the discussion.

Hundreds of agitated farmers under the banner of Pauro Nagarik Committee blocked the Rangpur-Badargong Road under Badarganj upazila in Rangpur on Thursday demanding enough supply of fertiliser and electricity.
   They blocked of the road for about one hour brought traffic to standstill.
   The farmers later held a protest rally at the Shaheed Minar.
   Chaired by the committee president Nazrul Islam, the meeting was addressed among others by Ruhul Amin, Akhtarul, Abuzar and Fazlul Houque.
   The speakers demanded for adequate supply of fertiliser and power in the district within two days.
   Giving an ultimatum of declaring tougher movements, if their demands were not met within the stipulated period, they claimed that Irri-borro cultivation was hampered severely due to shortage of fertiliser and power.

At least 30 persons were injured, 12 of them critically, in a road accident at Barakhain area under Anowara upazila in Chittagong on Wednesday.
   The police sources said the accident occurred when a bus carrying a wedding party plunged into a roadside ditch, as the driver lost control over the wheels on the Barakal-Anowara Road at around 5:00pm.

The main opposition Awami League will not participate in the ensuing Manikganj-4 by-election.
   The AL general secretary, Md Abdul Jalil MP, in a statement on Thursday said, according to the decision of the party central working committee it would not take part in the by-election.