The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the European Commission (EC) have signed a MoU to jointly support Bangladesh in its environmental management activities.

Sylhet Division Development Student Action Council, Dhaka University yesterday organised a human chain programme at the foot of Aparajeyo Bangla of Dhaka University protesting cutting of trees at Khasia Palli at Srimangal in Moulvibazar district.

Bangladesh Paribesh Andolan (BAPA) and Bangladesh Adibashi Forum yesterday formed a human chain at the TSC area of Dhaka University in protest against the cutting of trees at Khasiapally in Moulvibazar.

Almost 200 people participated in the human chain carrying placards and shouting slogans.

THE news that the traffic department of Dhaka Metropolitan Police is returning the previously seized unfit buses to their owners, because of lack of space in its dumping yard, is a bit disconcerting. The whole exercise was aimed at clearing the city roads of the old, faulty vehicles that cause both pollution and congestion. And now releasing them is certainly a self-defeating move.

Although the consumption of iodized salt increased more than four times in the country by 2006 in comparison to that of 1993, the present rate of consumption is not satisfactory.

This was stated by the experts at the inaugural session of a workshop at Sonargaon Hotel in the city yesterday.

Joinal Miah, in his mid-50s, enjoyed a good health until he was a farmer. Things have changed fast when he started working in a brick kiln. Now he is undergoing treatment at a city hospital.

"Doctors say he is suffering from by asthma," says Joinal's wife Rahima.

Dhaka is the place which was made as point of attraction for all kinds of human activities since four hundred years back. Since then it has been growing with urban characteristics but in little planned manner. The rate of growth was not that much steeper than other surrounding growth centres.

A number of steps, including formulation of a traffic policy have been taken to ease the vehicular congestion in the city, Home Secretary Abdul Karim told reporters on Thursday.

Amid fresh bird-flu worries, the director general of the Department of Livestock Services has stressed the need for a multi-sectoral approach to make people aware about the risks of the disease that rattled the country

The interim government is formulating a parking policy strictly prohibiting on-street parking and keeping a provision for high penalties for flouting the rules to ensure smooth traffic in the capital.
The policy to be finalised in a month also aims to bring discipline in the transport system of the city, sources in the communications ministry said.