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Experts at a seminar on Saturday said air pollution caused as much as 11 per cent of the deaths and diseases every year in Bangladesh.
   Air pollution has taken a serious turn in Dhaka city as concentration of dust has already crossed its standard limit, posing a great to public health, they said.
   The experts said this while addressing an international seminar on ‘air pollution: perspective Dhaka’ held at Sheraton Hotel.
   The Franco-Bangladesh Association of Scholars and Trainees and Embassy of France in Bangladesh organised the programme.
   The speakers observed that the government could benefit up to 3.5 per cent of national income by reducing exposure to environmental health risks.
   They also called on the government to devise a coordinated policy to contain air pollution.
   M Khaliquzzaman, consultant for Environment and Social unit of World Bank, while presenting his paper said Air Quality Index value in Dhaka city has reached up to 350 against the standard 100 AQI value.
   Major sources of air pollution in Dhaka are: vehicular air pollution—of which more than 80 per cent is caused by diesel-fired vehicles, biomass burning, brick kilns, re-suspended road dust and fugitive emission by industries, he said.
   ‘Only air pollution causes as much as 11 per cent of deaths and diseases in Bangladesh,’ he noted.
   In his paper, Asif Mujtaba Mahmud, associate professor of respiratory medicine department of National Institute of Disease of Chest, said, ‘The standard of suspended particulate matter level in Bagladesh is 200 µg/m3 in residential areas while the WHO guideline of SPM level is fixed at 120 µg/m3 (24 hours) in commercial areas.’
   ‘The occurrence of SPM in air of Dhaka is alarmingly higher than the standards,’ he said, adding, ‘Air pollution is responsible for increasing mortality, causing problem in respiratory symptoms and pulmonary functions.’
   There is excessive presence of some major air pollutants in Dhaka such as ozone, particulate matter of 2.5, PM10, lead, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide.
   He said occurrence of excessive SPM and nitrogen dioxide cause respiratory infection and decrease in lung function and lung growth of children and sudden infant death syndrome while Sulphur dioxide causes bronchoconstriction.
   Zia Wadud, assistant professor of Civil Engineering of BUET, said despite limitations, an estimated 5,200 premature deaths could have avoided in Dhaka in 2007 because of introduction of CNG-driven vehicles.
   ‘This amounts to between 0.4 per cent to 7.8 per cent of the GDP of the country with a best of 1.4 per cent,’ he added.
   While giving welcome speech, French ambassador Charley Causeret said, Dhaka’s air pollution has now gone higher than in Mexico.
   The seminar was addressed, among others, by BUET professor ABM Badruzzaman, French NGO AIRPRIF deputy director Karine Léger and FBAST president Md Liaquat Ali Khan.

Sales of sacrificial animals started at permanent and makeshift cattle markets in Barisal on Saturday with Eid-ul-Azha six days away.
   Cattle traders said prices of sacrificial animals are higher this year comparing to last year. Sales of sacrificial animals are yet to gain momentum but it will reach a peak within a couple of days, they added.
   There are few buffaloes and cows, imported from the northern region, in the local markets, market sources said, adding that locally reared cattle also started arriving at the markets.
   According to reports received from major cattle markets such as Boalia in Bakerganj, Mohonganj in Babuganj, Guachitra in Banaripara, Guthia in Wazirpur and Kagashura in Barisal sadar, cattle traders have already started selling cows, goats and buffaloes in a small-scale.
   Sales of sacrificial animals would start tomorrow at three permanent and seven makeshift cattle markets in the metropolitan area on completion of the leasing process today, BCC sources said.
   According to market sources, a large size bull is now being sold at between Tk 40,000 and Tk 50,000 against Tk 30,000-Tk 35,000 last year while a midsize at between Tk 30,000 and Tk 35,000 against Tk 20,000-Tk 25,000 and a small size at between Tk 15,000 and Tk 20,000 against Tk 13,000-Tk 15,000 last year.
   A big size goat is being sold at between Tk 10,000 and Tk 16,000 against Tk 7,000-Tk 12,000 last year while a midsize at between Tk 6,000 and Tk 8,000 against Tk 5,000-Tk 6,000 and a small size at between Tk 3,500 and Tk 5,500 against Tk 3,000-Tk 3,500 last year.
   Middle and low income group people are visiting the markets to decide whether to buy sacrificial animals at present prices that are much higher than last year.
   Prices of sacrificial animals at all the cattle markets are now higher than that of last year due to its inadequate supply with Eid-ul-Azha six days away, said Abu Bakar, a cattle trader who came here from Jessore.
   He attributed higher prices of sacrificial animals to less import through corridors on the northern frontiers. It put a little impact on the market as a huge number of locally reared sacrificial animals would arrive in the local market from the northern region, Abu Bakar told New Age at Kagashura cattle market.

A vegetable trader was strangled by a gang of miscreants while another was beaten to death by a mob in Alignj area of the Rajshahi city early Saturday.
   The deceased are vegetable trader Lal Mohammed, 30, a resident of Aliganj and Alamgir Hossain, 35, of Biroil village under Godagari upazila of the district.
   The police, quoting the locals, said Alamgir along with his two associates Towhid and Kabir Hossain of village Baliadangi under the upazila went to Lal Mohammed’s house at about 3.00am.
   The three suffocated Lal Mohammed to death by putting a piece of cloth into his mouth, the police said.
   Hearing groans, neighbours came to the house but they saw Lal Mohammed dead.
   Sensing the presence of lawmen, the attackers tried to get away, but local people managed to catch them red-handed and severally beat them up.
   On information, the police came and rescued the three and sent them to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital but Alamgir died on way to the hospital.
   Shamim told reporters that they had not killed Lal Mohammed, saying, ‘we went to him to buy cauliflower.’
   The victim’s father-in-law Shahjahan claimed that Lal Mohammed had been killed by hired goons of his step-father Imran.
   The killing has been perpetrated to grab the land of Lal Mohammed, he added.
   Shahjahan filed a case with the police in connection with the killing, the officer-in-charge of Rajpara police station, Afzal Hossain, said.
   Additional police have been deployed in the area to avoid further untoward incidents over the killing.
   A tense situation was prevaling in the area after the killings.

The Khulna mayor, Talukder Abdul Khaleque, on Saturday sought cooperation of all the city dwellers in eliminating ‘corruption’ from the city corporation.
   ‘We want to make the corporation free from any corruption to ensure better service for the city people, he told a face-to-face meeting with the citizens at Khulna Press Club.
   Shachetan Nagarik Committee, Khulna of the Transparency International Bangladesh with the help of Greater Khulna Development Action Coordination Committee, Sushashoner Jonnya Nagarik, Nagarik Forum and Rupantar arranged the programme.
   The chaired by Khulna Committee acting convener Professor Zafar Imam, the programme was attended, among others, by Khulna Nagarik Forum chairperson Shaikh Abdul Quayum and Professor Anwarul Quadir.
   The mayor said if any city dweller thinks corporation officials are harassing them, he/she should cooperate with the corporation by informing him of the matter.
   ‘We will take immediate action against the corporation officials to be found involved in corruption and irregularities,’ he said.
   In reply to a question, the mayor said the corporation authorities have already launched drives to make the city canals free from land grabbers. ‘We will not spare anybody encroaching upon city canals.’
   About road infrastructure development, the mayor said they had already issued work order for development of 84 city roads and the work is now going on.
   He mentioned that they did not allow the contractors to work during rainy season as water is harmful for bitumen.
   The mayor also said the corporation would set up a linier park along the bank of the Rupsha and Moyur rivers by 2010.
   About mosquito menace, he said they had already launched anti-mosquito drive in different city areas.
   In reply to another question, the mayor stressed the need for creating awareness among the people to make the city free from illicit drugs.

Local people of Karnakati area under sadar upazila formed a human chain on the bank of the River Kirtonkhola near under-construction Dapadapia Bridge on Saturday demanding setting up of the proposed Barisal Public University on government land.
   Speakers at the human chain programme said Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid during his visit to Karnakati on October 26 asked the authorities concerned to establish the university on 200 acres of government land.
   But 50 acres of private land have recently been demarcated by the district administration for acquisition and implementation of the first phase of Barisal Public University Project at Karnakati, they added.
   If the project on private land is implemented, it would affect many marginal and low income group people and harm the environment, the speakers claimed.
   The deputy commissioner said 50 acres of private land had been demarcated for implementing the first phase of the project. ‘A proposal in this regard has been sent to the authorities concerned’.
   It would be cost-effective to set up the university on private land instead of government land, the DC added.
   Former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia laid the foundation stone of the university at Defulia on the outskirts of the city on September 17, 2006.
   Later, the caretaker government on November 10, 2008 chose the site for the university at Goriarpar, about eight kilometres away from the city.
   The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council at a meeting on November 29, 2008 approved fund of Tk 95 crore for this purposes.
   Though the authorities concerned also decided to start classes with renting 16 rooms at Barisal Zila School from the academic session 2009-10, the decision has not yet been implemented.

An unidentified woman was found dead at Masimpur in the Sylhet city on Saturday.
   The police said they recovered the body of the 25-year-old woman at around 1:30pm and sent it to the Sylhet Osmani Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy.
   The police suspect that the woman might have been killed by a gang of criminals after rape. Later, her body was dumped at the place, they added.
   A case was filed with the Kotwali police station in this regard.

Steffen Mehlich, director of the Hambolt Foundation, Germany, called on Jahangirnagar University vice-chancellor Professor Shariff Enamul Kabir at the latter’s office on Saturday.
   At the meeting, Professor Kabir sought cooperation from Hambolt Foundation to implement five-year development plan of the university.
   Mehlich assured the VC of providing all possible cooperation and hoped that ties between the two institutions would be strengthened in future.

Weather is likely to remain dry with partly cloudy sky over the country till 6pm today.
   Light to moderate fog may occur over the river basins of the country during late night till morning, Met Office said.
   Night temperature may fall slightly over the country, it added.
   The sun sets in the capital today at 6:11pm and rises tomorrow at 7:19am.
   Country’s highest temperature 30.0 degrees Celsius was recorded on Saturday at Cox’s Bazar and lowest 11.4 degrees at Dinajpur.