Dhaka's air quality has almost returned to its notorious levels as a rise in vehicle numbers, brick kilns, and building constructions wiped out improvements made by the phasing out of two-stroke vehicles in 2003.

About 500,000 people move to Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh each year, mostly from coastal, riverine and rural areas.

Dhaka will take an initiative for holding a regional dialogue on water sharing of the trans-border rivers as the upper riparian India continues unilateral withdrawal of waters depriving Bangladesh of its due share.

The government has successfully concluded negotiations with the World Bank for a US$62.20 million Clean Air and Sustainable Environment (CASE) project aimed at helping the capital out of environmental hell.

An official release says CASE is an innovatively designed project that aims at integrating environment and transport concerns towards a common objective of improving Dhaka's air quality.

A four-day exhibition on compressed natural gas (CNG) is set to begin in Dhaka on November 22, aiming to expand the market for natural gas-based vehicles and accessories, by creating awareness about the technology and safety issues, organisers said yesterday.

Speakers at a discussion on Sunday urged the authorities concerned to find out solutions to traffic congestion in the Dhaka city and suggested reducing the number of motorised vehicles.

Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) has opened solid waste management offices in some targeted wards in the city to improve its waste collection system.

As solid waste management requires close cooperation of the citizens, they can make recommendations, comments or lodge complaints to the ward waste management offices so that the DCC can respond promptly, DCC sources told BSS on Wednesday.

The taskforce on saving the Buriganga river, maintaining its normal flow and navigability submitted its report to the government on Wednesday.

Taskforce Chairman and former chairman of the Privatisation Commission Enam Ahmed Choudhury handed the report to Adviser for Agriculture and Water Resources Dr CS Karim at his secretariat office. Other members of the taskforce were present.

Energy experts, academics, business leaders and policymakers on Tuesday suggested immediate installation of a nuclear power plant as the country was facing huge shortage of primary energy like gas to produce electricity.