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Prices of vegetables, eggs and spices increased further while that of cooking oil and sugar declined in the city markets during the past week.
   Traders attributed the increasing vegetable prices to its significantly squeezed supply, caused by the countrywide heavy rainfall in mid June that inundated huge fields and damaged vegetables.
   At Mahakhali and Kanthal Bagan bazaars, per kilogram of aubergine was on Friday selling for up to Tk 36, bitter gourd Tk 40, okra, Tk 28 and cucumber and patol were selling for Tk 24 each.
   Indian and local varieties of onion per kilogram at different kitchen markets in the city was retailing for up to Tk 26 and Tk 22 respectively while green chilli between Tk 60 and Tk 80.
   Prices of vegetables were up by at least 20 per cent over the week and between 50 and 100 per cent over the month.
   With their declined supply, garlic and ginger registered a rise by around 25 per cent in a moth.
   On Friday, ginger of both local and imported varieties was selling between Tk 40 and Tk 56 per kilogram while garlic between Tk 54 to Tk 72.
   The price of milk powder increased further and a 2-kg tin of Dano was on Friday selling for up to Tk 970 against Tk 900 a week ago and Tk 870 a month.
   Prices of fishes remained somewhat stable with their increased supply.
   As fish enclosures at different parts of the country were overflowed due to the deluge, fishermen are netting fishes in abundance in the rivers and water bodies.
   At Mahakhali, about a one-kg sized hilsa was selling between Tk 350 and Tk 400, pungus of different sizes between Tk 80 and Tk 120 while small fishes — kachki and mola — were selling between Tk 140 and Tk 160 per kilogram.
   The prices of beef and broiler remain unchanged at their previous prices. Per kilogram of beef was on Friday selling between Tk 160 and Tk 170 and broiler between Tk 85 and Tk 90.
   Eggs, however, have become dearer by Tk 4 per dozen over the week to be retailed between Tk 51 and Tk 57 on the day.
   The prices of rice remained stable. Coarse varieties of IRRI, swarna and pari were selling between Tk 21 and Tk 23 per kilogram while fine variety nazirshail and miniket between Tk 26 and Tk 30.
   Prices of edible oil continued declining with per kilogram of non-packed soybean selling between Tk 68 and Tk 70, down by Tk 4 from its price a couple of week ago.
   Declined prices in international market and reduced import duty compelled the bottled soybean sellers to reduce price by Tk 2 per litre over the past two weeks.
   Price of sugar, which showed an uptrend at the retail markets in early June following proposal for duty-hike in raw sugar import in the national budget, has been on decline for the last two weeks due to the huge stock of locally refined sugar at the wholesale markets.
   The essential sweetener was on Friday retailing between Tk 30 and Tk 32, down by Tk 2 of its price two weeks back.
   Among other major essentials, red lentil was selling between Tk 56 and Tk 76 per kilogram and packed atta between Tk 26 and Tk 27.

Relatives of a young man, who died due to the alleged negligence and wrong treatment of a physician and nurses at City Hospital, went on the rampage at the hospital in Mohammadpur area of Dhaka on Friday.
   The deceased was identified as Jahangir Alam, 30, son of Abdul Majid of Islambagh area under Lalbagh police.
   According to the family members of the victim, Jahangir sustained critical injuries in a road accident near the Mawa Bridge on June 24, and he was admitted to a hospital in Munshiganj.
   The family members shifted him to City Hospital located at Satmasjid Road in Mohammadpur.
   ‘Since then, Jahangir was undergoing treatment at the hospital but his health condition deteriorated at about 10:30am on Friday and we informed the doctors of the matter,’ a cousin of the victim told New Age.
   ‘We went to the doctor’s room and some staff said no one of the doctors came as it was holiday and soon after that one of the on duty doctors pushed injection and he died instantly,’ he claimed. He also alleged that the man, who pushed the injection, probably was not a doctor and his cousin died due to the ‘wrong’ treatment.
   As the news spread, some angry relatives of the victim rushed to the spot and started damaging the furniture, glasses and windowpanes of the hospital.
   They also ransacked some documents of the office.
   Informed, police and Rapid Action Battalion went to the spot and brought the situation under control.
   The management and the physicians of the hospital, however, could not be contacted for their comment about the death. The body was sent to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital morgue for a post-mortem examination.

Environmental activists on Friday called upon the government to take a master plan to solve the water logging crisis in the capital.
   Addressing a new conference, they said the master plan should be taken in consultation with different institutions, experts and organisations working with environmental issues.
   Paribesh Banchao Andolan, a platform of the civil society members working for saving the environment, organised the conference at the National Press Club.
   Engineer Sheikh M Shahidullah read out a paper, styled ‘The recommendations for solving water logging problem in Dhaka metropolitan city’. Justice Golam Rabbani, Engineer Shafiuddin Sarkar and convener of the organisation Abu Naser Khan, among others, attended the conference.
   In his paper Shahidullah said water management system in Dhaka needed to be designed and maintained ensuring the balance of eco-system to solve the water logging crisis.
   ‘This balance will include natural environment and human designed environment structures. Pure air, pure water and pure foods must be included in this agenda,’ he said.
   The green group urged for forming a storm fighting team comprising experts from the disaster management ministry, Dhaka City Corporation, Fire Service and Civil Defence, Bangladesh Water Development Board, Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority, Local Government and Engineering Department, Bangladesh Army and others.
   They also recommended for arranging 2-cusec low lift water pumps for removing water from the affected areas in the city during water logging.
   Keeping construction materials on the roads and other public places cause water logging in the city, they observed and urged the authorities concerned to be tough against such malpractice.

A number of footpaths in the Khulna city have become death traps for the pedestrians as most of the concrete slabs over the drains have either been broken or stolen.
   According to the Khulna City Corporation sources, there are 525.09km stretch of drains in the city — dirt-made 297.25km, semi-metalic 48.76km and metallic 179.08 km.
   Most of the metallic drains are covered with concrete slabs and they are being used as footpaths, they said, adding there are a number of uncovered manholes on the footpaths.
   Many city dwellers alleged that although a number of slabs over the drains had remained broken for long, the corporation was yet to repair or replace them.
   ‘As there is no alternative for us, we [city people] have to walk along the footpaths amid risks of major accidents,’ said a city people.
   Besides, during the rainy season, a good number of footpaths go under water and pedestrians very often face accidents by falling into the drains, locals said.
   The condition of the footpaths has worsened as drug addicts have stolen the covers of manholes made of iron sheets and rods to sell them for collecting money, they said.
   The locals also alleged the slabs made are of poor quality and they began to break down after a few months.
   Broken slabs and open manholes are mostly seen over the drains by the side of Ahsan Ahmed Road, Khan Jahan Ali Road, KDA Avenue, South Central Road, Shamsur Rahman Road, Lower Jessore Road, Islampur Road, Ratan Sen Sarani, Sir Iqbal Road, Sher-E-Bangla Road and the Bina Pani School Road.
   An official of the KCC engineering department told New Age that there were a number of broken slabs and open manholes in the city. He said the corporation had already put a number of slabs replacing the broken ones. ‘We are trying to repair the remaining broken slabs soon, he added.

Sylhet Osmani Medical College Hospital has been running short of physicians and staff for about nine years, hampering healthcare services.
   Only 802 physicians and employees against 2,110 posts have been working with the hospital, sources in the hospital said adding no fresh recruitment had been made since the hospital had been upgraded to a 900-bed one from 500-bed in 1998.
   The present workforce is not capable of discharging their duties properly, said an administrative official in the hospital.
   According to the hospital sources, only three administrative officers against 15 posts, 86 medical assistants and technologists and office assistants against a total of 145 such posts, 205 nurses against 639 posts and 355 Class IV employees against 796 posts are working now at the hospital, while about 262 posts of physicians also remained vacant against the proposed 415 posts.
   Sylhet Osmani Medical College Hospital was upgraded to 900-bed from 500-bed in 1998, but the structure of manpower remained the same as it was before the upgrading, the hospital insiders said.
   Even 185 posts out of 987 approved workforce of the 500-bed hospital had remained vacant. As a result, a total of 802 staff including physicians, medical assistants, nurses and ayahs are working now in the upgraded hospital, the insiders also said.
   On average between 1,250 and 1,500 inpatients take healthcare services at the SOMCH everyday, while between 3,000 and 3,500 outpatients take treatment in the hospital, the sources said.
   Talking to New Age on Thursday noon, a senior physician in the hospital said very often they have to fall in great difficulty with the shortage of stuff while providing treatment to the patients in the hospital.
   The hospital authorities requested the health ministry to appoint 81 specialist physicians and employees for running the newly-established intensive care unit properly and 57 specialists, trained technologists and other employees to operate the hi-tech medical equipment of the hospital.
   Brigadier general Shah-E Alam, director of the Sylhet Osmani Medical College Hospital, said the authorities had sent a proposal to health ministry for approval of 2110 staffers in the upgraded 900-bed hospital which is yet to be approved.
   We are trying our best to give proper treatment to the patients amid severe staff shortage, the director said.

Dhaka University Day will be celebrated on the university campus on Sunday with elaborate programmes.
   The Day, an annual event for all members of the university family, is going to be observed after 18 years.
   All the classes will remain suspended on the day, but the scheduled examinations will be held and university offices will remain open.
   Dormitories, all the departments and institutes under the university will remain open for guardians of the students and former students from 2:00pm to 4:00pm.
   Special lunch will be served at the canteens of dormitories and messes from 1:00pm to 2:00pm.
   Two friendly soccer matches will be held at university playground from 4:00pm. VC Eleven will take on the Dhaka University Alumni Association President Eleven in the first match while a team of former students will fight another team of the present students.
   The celebration will begin at 10:00am with a discussion at the Teacher-Student Centre of the university with the participation of former vice-chancellors, distinguished persons, teachers, students and their guardians.
   University treasurer Professor Syed Abul Kalam Azad will preside over the discussion.
   The university vice-chancellor, Professor SMA Faiz, will lead a rally from the TSC at 11:00am. Teachers, officials, employees, students and guests will participate in the rally.
   The Dhaka University Debating Society will organise a debate competition at the TSC auditorium at 12:00pm.
   The University Science Club will organise a presentation on DNA at 1:00pm at the TSC.
   In the evening, a cultural programme and a concert will be held at the same venue.
   Bandhan, voluntary organisation, will arrange a blood donation programme at the TSC from the morning.
   The Dhaka University Day was introduced in 1983 to mark the last day of university studies. Since then, the day was celebrated five times in the month of February.
   The University Day was last observed on March 31, 1989.

A salesman of a boutique shop was shot dead by assailants at Mohammadpur in the Dhaka city Thursday night.
   The victim was identified as Ismail Chowdhury Faisal, 20, a salesman at Naborupa Boutique Shop at Asad Gate and a resident at Shewrapara.
   Family sources said Faisal came under gun attack by the miscreants at Shersahsuri Road Crossing at about 9:30pm while he was returning home from his sister’s residence at Mohammadpur.
   The assailants fired indiscriminate shots at Faisal leaving him critically injured. The local people took him to Suhrawardy Hospital.
   He was later shifted to DMCH and died tehre at about 11:30pm. A case was filed with the Mohammadpur police.

Light to moderate rain or thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty or squally wind is likely at most places over Chittagong, Barisal and Khulna divisions and at many places over Dhaka, Rajshahi and Sylhet divisions with moderately heavy to heavy falls at places during the 24-hour period till 6:00pm today, the Met Office said on Friday.
   With the influence of steep pressure gradient and active monsoon over Bangladesh, heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely to occur at place over Khulna, Barisal and Chittagong divisions during this period, it said.
   The day temperature may remain nearly unchanged nearly unchanged over the country, it said. The country’s highest temperature on Friday, 33.0 degrees Celsius, was recorded today at Saidpur and the lowest, 25.2 degrees Celsius, in Cox’s Bazar.
   The sun sets in the capital today at 6:50pm and rises tomorrow at 5:14am.

Former pediatricians at Dhaka Medical College Hospital on Friday gathered in what turned out to be an emotional reunion, reminiscing about the good old days.
   The doctors, who passed out between 1952 and 2007, attended the reunion organised by the Department of Pediatrics at DMCH.
   The DMCH principal Dr. M A Faiz inaugurated the reunion programme where around 100 doctors including national Professor MR Khan, who worked in this department between 1969 and 1971, were present.
   ‘The reunion created an opportunity to share the experiences between the senior and junior doctors. This sharing will help the junior doctors to face newly arisen diseases and problems to the Pediatrics treatment,’ Dr. Faiz said.
   Professor Khan expressed his happiness saying I am very joyful to meet with the junior doctors and sharing with them my experiences and memories.
   ‘When I was a doctor at this department it was very small, but now things have changed a lot today, but I can still recall those days,’ the national Professor said.
   The junior doctors observed the programme with joyous and festive mood and the female doctors came in colorful saris.
   Crests were handed over to 11 doctors for their contribution to the department.

The 9th urs of Maulana Shah Sufi Syed Safiullah, the 9th pir of Azimpur Dayera Shariff Khankah, was observed on Thursday.
   The programme of the day included recitation from the Qur’an and prayer sessions. A discussion on the life of the late Syed Safiullah was also held.
   The day’s programme concluded through munajat led the incumbent pir of the khankah Maulana Shah Sufi Ahmed Ullah Zubair.

Fruits tree fair begins in Rajshahi
A three-day fruits tree fair, organised by Rajahahi agriculture extension department, began in the city on Friday. The fair was inaugurated by Rajshahi zone agriculture extension department additional director Mozaharul Islam and attended as chief guest. Rajshahi Sugar Mills general manager Jalal Uddin and botanical expert Ittafaqul Azad were present as special guest while additional director of Rajahahi agriculture extension department Rabindra Kumar Majumdar was in the chair. Mozaharul Islam, in his inaugural speech said Bangladesh is a country of fruits of different varieties but some fruits were disappearing due to negligence. So it is time the country increased their production for our future generation.
— New Age