Main Page «
Front Page «
Metro «
Business «
International «
Sports «
Editorial «
Op-Ed «
Home «
Timeout «
Letters «

Archive «
Launch Supplement «
Special Supplements «

The government is yet to decide whether to cut duties on imported milk powder as its prices have increased by up to 20 per cent just over a week, while the Bangladesh Rifles is preparing to import 500 tonnes of milk powder to retail at its fair price sales centres.
   The BDR hopes it will be able to market the imported milk powder by the end of next month at prices ranging between Tk 300 and Tk 320 a kilogram.
   A 350-gram pack of Nido brand infant-grade milk powder has increased by Tk 33 over the past week to Tk 193. The price of a pack of Diploma, a popular brand of or-dinary milk powder, has risen to Tk 430 per kg from Tk 400 one week ago and Tk 300 in January last.
   Importers and distributors of milk powder, who predict further price hike of the item in the coming weeks, said a duty cut was urgent to stabilise and rationalise the retail prices of imported milk powder and thus to give respite to the consumers.
   But, the commerce ministry, which a couple of weeks ago consulted importers and distributors on possible ways of cooling the prices, is still suffering from an indecision on the issue.
   Ahmed Kabir, country manager of Arla Foods Ingredients, Bangladesh, said, ‘Milk prices will see further rounds of increase by January as fresh import consignments, procured at higher prices, reach the market.’
   The Denmark-based company, with its Dano brand, commands at least 20 per cent share of the domestic market of packed milk powder and a much higher piece of the pie in the tinned segment.
   According to Ahmed, ‘The latest round of increase in the milk prices was nothing but another phase of response to tight supply and increased demand for milk on the global market.’ He claimed that in the 11 months to September Dano’s procurement cost had increased by nearly 90 per cent, while Arla had made only a 55 per cent upward price adjustment of its products in the local market.
   Bangladesh consumes around 3,000 tonnes of milk powder a month and more than 95 per cent of it is imported.
   Officials at the BDR procurement cell told New Age on Wednesday that they had opened a letter of credit to import 500 tonnes of milk powder from China and hoped the shipment would reach Bangladesh by next month.
   According to their assessment, the imported milk powder in 250-gram packs will be retailed between Tk 75 and Tk 80.
   The government engaged the border guards early this year to operate fair price outlets aiming at giving some relief to consumers suffering from skyrocketing and unabated price hike of essential commodities.

The Citizens’ Rights Movement, a social organisation, on Tuesday protested against the government’s decision to purchase Pajero jeeps for 150 upazila nirbahi officers at a cost of Tk 26 lakh each, especially since Bangladesh is such a poor country
   They also urged the government to take as strong measures against misuse of government funds as it is taking against corruption in the country.
   The Citizens’ Rights Movement also recommended increasing the manpower of some profitable government organisations like the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission and Bangladesh Standards Testing Institute.
   Tushar Rehman, secretary-general of the organisation, presented the written proposals at the a press conference held at the National Press Club.
   He said that the total cost of 150 Pajero jeeps is Tk 40 crore and the monthly maintenance cost (plus driver’s pay) of each vehicle would be Tk 40 thousand, and after eight years the maintenance cost and purchase cost would stand at Tk 66 lakh.
   He urged the authorities concerned to purchase five 100 CC motorbikes for the upazila nirbahi officer and five other motorbikes for the police stations in the upazila under his control, instead of expensive and fuel-guzzling Pajeros.
   He told the reporters that UNOs do not need jeeps, rather their work would be done better if they ride motorbikes since the condition of most roads is not good enough to bear the weight of such a heavy vehicle as a Pajero. Many places will be inaccessible to them if they use Pajeros only. Moreover, the police stations desperately need more vehicles for the police officials to do their work properly.
   If the government buys 10 motorbikes for each upazila, the total cost will be around Tk 15 crore.
   He also suggested that the government allot the amount remaining after buying these motorbikes for the purchase of some ambulances or medical equipment for various government hospitals, including the Dhaka Medical College Hospital, which need them badly.
   Eminent columnist Syed Abul Maksud said that Bangladesh is a very poor country, so the government has to stop misuse of public funds.
   Group Captain (retd) Moham-mad Alfaz and Dhaka University teacher Masud Rahman also spoke at the press conference.

Discussants at a roundtable said that blindness of the children can be prevented and cured in most cases if proper awareness of the reasons for blindness can be created and timely treatment provided.
   ‘The blindness of the children can be prevented and cured if Tk 10 crore is allocated and used properly every year,’ said Professor MA Matin at a roundtable held at the conference lounge in the National Press Club on Tuesday.
   The discussion was attended by politicians, doctors, economists, social workers and media personalities, all of whom recommended the right government policy, political consciousness and social awareness to protect the country’s children from blindness.
   ‘Political commitment is very much needed to prevent blindness in children, but the necessary consciousness is entirely absent in our political culture,’ said Rashed Khan Menon, president of the Bangladesh Workers Party.
   Khandakar Ibrahim Khaled, director of Kachi Kanchar Mela, pointed out that about 16 lakh children in Bangladesh are now blind, but the government has the arrangement to provide education to only 1,200 of them.
   ‘It is our responsibility to open up the inner vision in the children and also ensure their physical eyesight,’ said Imdadul Haque Milon.
   The discussion, organised by Sight Savers International and Shaptahik 2000, was moderated by Golam Murtaza, acting editor of Shaptahik 2000, and was attended by economist Atiur Rahman, columnist Sayed Abul Maksud, Professor Golam Rahman, Doctor Sayed Maruf Ali, Doctor Din Mohammed Nurul Haque, Doctor Jamal Nizam Uddin, Lieutenant General Mahbubur Rahman, singer Fahmida Nabi and some prominent politicians and other citizens.

World Mental Health Day will be observed in Bangladesh as elsewhere today with this year’s theme of ‘Mental health in a changing world: the impact of culture and diversity.’
   The day will be observed with a call for attention towards trans-cultural mental health services and treatment as the impact of culture and diversity on mental health has been on the rise.
   The day has been observed on October 10 every year since 1992 to create public awareness of mental health issues.
   The numbers of mentally retarded, sick or injured persons are increasing in Bangladesh, but medical and surgical treatment and nursing care and rehabilitation for them are very limited, said experts.
   The number of traumatic disorder and mentally disturbed patients is increasing because of violence of different sorts, they said.
   About 16.05 per cent of the people of Bangladesh now suffer from different types of mental ailments against the figure of 6.5 per cent in 1979, according to government statistics.
   There is no rehabilitation centre in Bangladesh for mental patients. Pabna Mental Hospital has a welfare society registered with the government.
   The society provides fund for sending patients home after their recovery and supplies life-saving drugs. The society also provides jobs for capable patients during their stay in the hospital.
   The Directorate of Society Welfare gives an annual grant to the society. It also runs a number of projects such as dairy and agricultural farms. Income generated from such farms is used for the welfare of the patients. The society also receives donations from NGOs, individuals and firms.
   The National Mental Health Institute was launched in 2000. All the public medical college hospitals, combined military hospitals and few private clinics have psychiatric wards.
   In 1999, a 50-bed mental health hospital with outdoor facilities was set up in Sylhet under private management. The number of beds may be increased to 100 with added facilities in future. It has started treating patients at its outpatient department for nominal charges.

Liqun Jin, vice-president of the Asian Development Bank, arrives in Dhaka on a three-day visit today.
   He is scheduled to attend the silver jubilee celebrations of the bank’s resident mission in Bangladesh and exchange views with the chief adviser to the interim government, said a release issued on Tuesday.
   Jin is responsible for the operations of the South Asia Department, Central and West Asia Department and the Private Sector Operations Department of the Manila-based multilateral lending agency.
   Jin will also meet the advisers for local government, communications, law, justice and parliamentary affairs and other senior government officials.
   He will visit a flood-affected area to see the damage caused by recent floods. The bank is now considering a government proposal for assistance in post-flood rehabilitation programmes.
   He will meet other development partners and address a news briefing before concluding his visit on Friday.

World Disaster Reduction Day will be observed across the world today with the theme of ‘Disaster risk reduction begins at school.’
   The World Disaster Reduction Campaign 2006-2007 was launched in Paris in June 2006 by the UNISDR secretariat and UNESCO, with support from the French government.
   In a message on the occasion, the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon said, ‘Recent calamities around the world — including floods, storms, and droughts — continue to remind us of the devastating effects of natural hazards, as well as the potentially harmful effects of a warming planet.
   ‘We have a moral, social and economic obligation to act now in building resilient communities and nations.’