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About 5.6 per cent of the country’s adults and a large number of children are suffering from diabetes, and the number of diabetic patients is increasing alarmingly with more than 20,000 new patients in a year.
   According to the Diabetic Association of Bangladesh, various causes increase the prevalence of diabetes, while unbalanced food habit, lack of physical exercise, regular intake of energy-dense fast food and soft drinks are mainly blamed for diabetes.
   According to the data available at the association, 22,559 new patients of diabetes were registered in financial year 2005-2006, 22,324 in 2004-2005, 21,462 in 2003-2004, 20,883 in 2002-2003, 20,607 in 2001-2002 and 17,045 in 2000-2001.
   A total of 3,57,418 patients were registered in financial year 2005-2006, 3,34,859 in 2004-2005, 3,12,535 in 2003-2004, 2,91,073 in 2002-2003, 2,70,190 in 2001-2002 and 2,49,587 in 2000-2001, according to the association’s data.
   Such patients were registered with the DAB-run BIRDEM hospitals in Dhaka, 13 national healthcare network centres in the city, 10 diabetic healthcare development centres and 56 affiliated bodies across the country.
   The DAB president, AK Azad Khan, told New Age on Wednesday ‘Such treatment facilities provide health care for only 25 per cent of the total diabetic patients in the country. A large number of such patients are still out of healthcare facilities.’
   He, however, said diabetes is not only prevalent among the urban people, but also among the people living in villages.
   At present, 11.2 per cent people in the capital who are over 20 years in age have diabetes. A survey conducted by the association revealed that 11.2 per cent of the people in the urban areas and 4.2 per cent in rural areas were affected by diabetes till 2003.
   The proportion of diabetes victims in urban areas were 4 and 6.9 per cent in 1992 and 1996 respectively, while it was 4.3 per cent in the rural areas in 1996, according to the association.
   Diabetes Mellitus is a chronic condition that arises when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin produced. As a result, the person cannot use the glucose in the food he or she eats. This can lead to abnormal glucose levels in the blood.
   Hyperglycaemia, or raised blood sugar, is a common effect of uncontrolled diabetes and over the course of time leads to serious damage to many of the body’s systems, especially the nerves and blood vessels.
   There are two types of diabetes: Type 1 is an auto-immune disease where the body’s immune system destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. The most common form of diabetes is Type 2, which is defined below.
   According to the association, 96 per cent of the diabetic patients in the country suffer from Type 2 diabetes. It is also known as late-onset diabetes, and is characterised by insulin resistance and relative insulin deficiency. The disease is strongly genetic in origin but lifestyle factors such as excess weight, inactivity, high blood pressure and poor diet are major risk factors for its development, said diabetes experts.
   The common symptoms of both the major types of diabetes include fatigue, unexplained weight loss, excessive thirst, excessive urination, excessive eating, poor wound healing, infection syndromes such as frequent yeast infection of the genitals, skin infection, frequent urinary tract infection, agitation, unexplained irritability, inattention and extreme lethargy.
   Diabetes is one of the most chronic diseases of childhood. It can affect children of any age including infants and toddlers, said Professor Mahtab Haider of the Bangladesh Institute of Research and Rehabilitation in Diabetes, Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders (BIRDEM).
   Associate professor of the surgery department of BIRDEM Hospital and Ibrahim Medical College, SM Abu Zafar, suggested prevention of diabetes by controlling weight, exercising regularly, keeping alcohol consumption low, quitting smoking and controlling high blood pressure.
   On the other hand, diabetic patients have to be cautious to avoid different complications which can cause serious disabilities such as blindness, kidney failure requiring dialysis, amputation or even death, they said.

The special assistant to the chief adviser, M Tamim, on Wednesday said that they would form another committee to review the current draft of the coal policy although a citizens’ commission has declared that the government should not make changes, except to amend one clause.
   ‘We will form a committee to review the recommendations on the draft coal policy approved by the advisory committee soon,’ Tamim told reporters while a roundtable discussion on ‘Development of Bangladesh’s Coal: Strategy and Method’ was going on.
   This is the eighth version of the draft coal policy, prepared by a high-powered advisory committee that was headed by Abdul Matin Patwari, former vice-chancellor of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, which is about to be reviewed by the government.
   Branding Tamim a ‘controversial person’, the Citizens Commission on Gas, Oil and Coal, formed by the Bangladesh Economic Association, rejected the move of the government to review the draft policy, saying that the major part of the policy, apart from one clause on mining method, was in favour of the national interest.
   ‘We are mostly satisfied with the current draft of the policy. We want that the clause that says that the open-pit mining method will be used in one mine to assess the viability of the method should be dropped from the policy. We are worried over the government’s announcement that the policy will be reviewed,’ said Kazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad, president of the BEA and convener of the commission, at a press conference.
   ‘We are especially concerned about the possible revision of the policy as a debatable person is now the special assistant to the chief adviser for the energy ministry,’ he added.
   Tamim told reporters that the coal policy should not dictate the mining method as the method would vary from mine to mine, depending on the geological condition of the mines.
   ‘The policy is a political decision and policy is implemented by rules. The policy should not say which method to follow, rather the policy is necessary for a decision to extract coal,’ he said.
   Tamim said that the coal policy would be prepared in the country’s interest and no company would be given special consideration.
   Kholiquzzaman said that the current draft policy has protected the country’s interest as it discourages the export of coal. ‘But the policy should fix the royalty rate at 20 per cent. Later the coal sector development committee can recommend by how much the royalty rate should be adjusted, if necessary,’ he said.
   The commission demanded that the government make the draft coal policy public.
   Appreciating the government’s decision to make the model draft production sharing contract public, the commission said all the PSCs should be made public before their signing after the tenders for 28 offshore blocks are evaluated.
   ‘We will keep a close eye on the matter as the current special assistant was a leading supporter of gas export. Now he should realise what would have happened if gas were exported at that time,’ said Kholiquzzaman.
   Commission members Justice Golam Rabbani, former Petrobangla chairman SK Abdullah and Syed Yusuf Hossain were present at the press conference.
   The roundtable on Bangladesh’s coal was organised by the monthly magazine ‘Energy and Power’ and the UNDP at the CIRDAP auditorium.

The Naldanga police in Natore filed six charge sheets in three cases against former deputy minister M Ruhul Kuddus Talukder Dulu and 67 other leaders and activists of the district unit BNP on Wednesday.
   After the killing of Dulu’s nephew Sabir Ahmed Gama, 17 shops at Amtali Bazar and 30 shops at Ramsha Kazipur of Naldanga were burnt and vandalised on February 7, 2004.
   One of the victims, Fayes Uddin Shah, filed a case against Dulu and 20 other BNP activists on February 15, 2004.
   Asma Akther Ruby of the same area lodged another case in this connection against Dulu and 20 others the same year. Sapura Khatun of the area filed the third case on April 26 against Dulu and 24 others.
   The Naldanga police officer-in-charge submitted final reports in all the three cases after investigation. The main accused, Dulu, was a deputy minister at the time.
   As the complainants filed petitions with the court rejecting the final reports and seeking reinvestigation in the cases, the court ordered the police to carry out further investigation.
   Police subinspector Abdul Alim after reinvestigation filed the six charge sheets with the chief judicial magistrate’s court of Mohammad Sarif Uddin.
   The police pressed charges against Dulu, his nephews Dollar, Dalim, Rentu, Kuddus and Bulbul and other relations and BNP activists.
   Dulu and 88 leaders and activists were already jailed for 18 years each in a case lodged by Asadusjamam Asad of Naldanga for setting fire to his house.

The estimated value of all the unpaid household work done by women in Bangladesh a year ranges between $69.8 billion and $91 billion, according to a study conducted by the Work for a Better Bangladesh.
   The non-governmental organisation showed a woman does 45 works in various categories, including farming jobs, animal husbandry and household chores.
   They also perform nine tasks of domestic helps, including washing clothes and dishes.
   ‘They are the first to wake up and the last to go to bed,’ said Maroof Rahman, project director of the organisation, in a roundtable on the ‘contributions of women to national economy’ at the National Press Club on Wednesday.
   Policy-makers and people should be aware of the contribution of unpaid women and allocation for women in budget should be considered as economic investment, he said.
   Referring to the government’s claim that it has allocated 24 per cent of the budget for women, economist Atiur Rahman said it meant nothing. ‘Budget is a political document and it only reflects the mindset of the government.’
   It is not about allocation in the budget but whether such allocations increase the wages or empowerment of women, he said.
   Home-makers do many cost-saving jobs such as cooking and washing clothes, he said. ‘If we consider the market price of such jobs, our GDP size will at least be double than it is considered.’
   Many women entrepreneurs do not understand VAT or do not know how to pay taxes, Atiur said.
   He said, ‘The government has not asked the National Board of Revenue to open a window to help women entrepreneurs understand tax-related issues.’
   Out of the Tk 650 crore allocations in budget, only Tk 39 lakh has been disbursed among women entrepreneurs, he said.
   Policy-makers and people need to change their mentality and recognise the contribution of women to economy.

A petition was filed on Wednesday for former premier Sheikh Hasina and six others seeking time for their appearance in the trial court in the Mig-29 warplane-purchase scam case, as the chief accused could not be produced on Wednesday.
   After hearing the petition, Divisional Special Judge Golam Mortoza fixed March 13 for their appearance before the court.
   Wednesday was the date for charge hearing in the case, ‘but the prosecution didn’t produce the detained former premier in the court on security grounds’, court sources said.
   In the time petition it was stated that a petition for quashing the case was filed with the High Court in 2003, which was rejected on September 6, 2007.
   ‘Against that order, we have filed leave-to-appeal petition with the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, upon which the Division has ordered filing regular appeal for which 20 days time is necessary,’ the defence counsel told the court.
   Public prosecutor Shahiduzza-man did not oppose the plea.
   The other accused in the case are Air Commodore (retd) Mirza Akhter Faroque, former air chief Air Marshal Jamal Uddin Ahmed, former joint secretary Mohammad Hossain Serniabat, businessman Noor Ali, Syed Yousuf Hossain and ex-army chief General (retd) Mustafizur Rahman.

AKM Abdul Awal Majumder, additional secretary to the education ministry, has been transferred to the food and disaster management ministry as additional secretary and Shafiul Alam, divisional commissioner of Rajshahi, has been made chairman of the Bangladesh Forest Industries Development Corporation.
   The establishment ministry issued a gazette notification to the effect on Wednesday.
   Peus Costa, additional director general (joint secretary) to the food directorate, has been made director general of the directorate, Khondoker Shawkat Hossain, joint secretary to the social welfare ministry, has been sent to the establishment ministry as joint secretary, officer on special duty (joint secretary) Sadar Uddin Ahmed has been transferred to the youth and sports ministry as joint secretary and joint secretary Maksuda Binte-E-Kadir, who was under a transfer order, has been sent to the social welfare ministry as joint secretary.

The Asian Media Information and Communication Centre in association with UNESCO and United News of Bangladesh will organise a special seminar on May 3 in Dhaka to commemorate World Press Freedom Day 2008.
   Following the successful first South Asian World Press Freedom Day event held in the Maldives last year, this year’s event will focus on UNESCO’s theme for the 2008 WPFD: ‘Access to information and the empowerment of people’.
   Stemming from the UNESCO General Conference (1991) that recognised that a free, pluralistic and independent press was an essential component of any democratic society, the General Assembly in 1993 declared May 3 as World Press Freedom Day.
    The Day serves as an occasion to inform citizens of violations of press freedom — a reminder that in dozens of countries around the world, publications are censored, fined, suspended and closed down, while journalists, editors and publishers are harassed, attacked, detained and even murdered.

The Diabetic Association of Bangladesh observes Diabetes Awareness Day today to mark the 52nd founding anniversary of the association.
   Founded by national professor Mohammad Ibrahim, the non-profit voluntary socio-medical organisation started its journey on this day in 1956 to provide diabetic patients with basic health care.
   The association has now expanded its activities through its research institutes, healthcare development projects and 56 affiliated bodies across the country.
   Diabetic is a chronic disease and regular check-up, jogging and intake of low-calorie food is the key to leading a diabetic-free life.
   The association has chalked up a series of programmes to mark the day. The association will bring out a procession Manik Mia Avenue at 7:30am, free diabetes check-up at Bangladesh National Museum, National Press Club, New Market, Mohammadpur Town Hall and Lalbagh and all national healthcare network and diabetic healthcare development centres across the country at 8:00am to 11:00am.
   The association will also hold a question-answer session at the BIRDEM Auditorium at 11:00am.
   It will also accord a reception to some diabetic patients and hold a discussion at the BIRDEM Auditorium at 4:00pm.

Rail and highway communications on Dhaka-Chittagong routes were disrupted for about three hours Wednesday following the derailment of two bogies of a freight train in Comilla.
   Railway sources said two rear compartments of the Chittagong-bound freight train from Dhaka veered off the track at the rail-crossing at Padua Bazar in Sadar (South) upazila at about 10:45am, disrupting the communications on both rail and the highway routes.
   Railway sources said the train service resumed at about 1:30pm after the relief train had salvaged the wagons from the track.

AKM Shamsuddin, former secretary to the government (now on LPR), has been appointed the next high commissioner to Kenya, said a press release on Wednesday.

The inspector general of police, Noor Mohammad, has said inner reforms of the police are more important than the outside ones to serve the people better.
   ‘The January 11 has brought an opportunity for a change, we should utilise this properly,’ the IGP told a function marking the laying of foundation stone of a model thana in Kotiadi upazila on Wednesday.
   Presided over by Kishoreganj police super M Mizanur Rahman, the function was attended, among others, by Additional
   IGP NBK Tripura, DIG (Dhaka range) M Amiruddin, DC Sultan Ahmed, former MP and BNP leader Major (retd) Akhteruzzaman
   Ranjan, the UNDP Programme Officer and the Programme Manager.
   ‘Now is the time to turn around... we need to remove the defamed image of the police force,’ he said adding ‘The police force used to known as a force of fear, but now they should have to be people-friendly’.
   Tthe IGP also sought cooperation of all in discharging their duties.