The production of Boro rice may decline by 1.5 per cent year-on-year to 1.90 crore tonnes in the current harvesting season because of the recent heatwave and pests attacks, according to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). As a result of the heat, key industry contacts believe it may be difficult for Bangladesh to achieve the target of producing 2.05 crore tonnes of the
Doctors for raising tobacco tax to protect public health
UNB
7th May, 2021 08:15:01
Scores of prominent doctors have urged the government to hike tobacco tax in the budget to protect public health.
In a joint statement on Friday, initiated by Dhaka Ahsania Mission, 121 doctors said tobacco was involved in six of the eight leading causes of preventable death worldwide.
The statement noted that cigarettes are very cheap and readily available in the market due to the multi-layered tax structure of cigarettes in Bangladesh depending on the features and brands.
As a result, consumers are able to choose cheaper cigarettes instead of quitting, and the use of cigarettes has been relatively similar in recent years. The availability of tobacco products must be reduced through tax increases, said the doctors.
Informal Sector Workers: Hardly cared for in hard times
Inadequate govt support, job loss leave them ravaged amid pandemic; no official data on those affected by the crisis
Holding a paperboard over her head to shield herself from the scorching sun, Fulmoti, 75, waits for handouts at Khilkhet level crossing in the capital yesterday. Widowed after the Liberation War, the mother of two used to work at a local restaurant as a cooking assistant. She lost informal sector job last year after the eatery was shut amid the pandemic. She now depends on others’ donations to survive. Photo: Sk Enamul Haq
Food insecurity in Bangladesh during the pandemic is rising. Even in the best of times, millions of people in the country go hungry. The Global Food Security Index 2020 ranked Bangladesh 84th out of 113 countries globally, which was worse than many of its neighbouring countries, such as India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Myanmar. Bangladesh s position among these 113 nations ranked by EIU varies from year to year, but each of the last five years has revealed that there is more food insecurity in Bangladesh compared with its neighbouring countries. So, it is not important if over the years we ranked at 82 or 84 or, even if we improved our position from the previous year what appears to be true is that, even in normal years, there is a prevalence of moderate to severe food insecurity in many segments of our population.
Is it OK to hit a child at least once in their lifetime? asked a Bangladeshi parent in a post on social media. Immediately, many commented in favour of hitting children, mostly in the name of discipline . We can never think of having a public discussion that justifies punishing any other group. Why do we accept this for children? Doesn t this reflect children s lower status in our society?
This is an opportune moment to discuss this issue with April 30 being observed as the International Day to End Corporal Punishment of Children. Corporal punishment includes any punishment in which physical force is used and intended to cause some degree of pain or discomfort, as well as non-physical forms of punishment that are cruel and degrading.