Study: Exposure to arsenic-contaminated water raises lung disease mortality in Bangladesh
Chronic arsenic exposure through drinking water is a public health problem affecting millions of people worldwide, including at least 30 million in Bangladesh, an ICDDRB study has found.
The study, jointly conducted by the ICDDRB and four reputed universities, has also found that arsenic exposure has been increasing lung disease mortality among Bangladeshi adults.
President leaves for London
President Abdul Hamid has left for London for treatment of his eyes on Sunday afternoon.
A regular flight of Bangladesh Biman carrying the President took off from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 2pm, reports BSS.
2 UN peacekeepers killed in Mali
Two United Nations peacekeepers were killed and seven others injured in a suicide attack on a UN patrol base in northern Mali on Saturday.
An explosive-laden pick-up truck drove into the UN camp in Ber, reports BBC.
The attack killed three people including a suicide attacker. The deceased soldiers were from Burkina Faso and were serving in the UN.
Fire at Moghbazar building
A fire has broken out at a five-storey building in capital's Moghbazar area on Sunday afternoon.
Fire Service and Civil Defence Control Room Telephone Operator Atikur Rahman said: "The fire broke out at the fourth floor of SK Tower around 12:40pm."
“On information, six units from fire service headquarters and three from Tejgoan fire station went to the spot and doused the blaze around 2:10pm. No causality was reported,” he said.
Govt promoting African Nerica rice variety despite negative result
The government has been promoting the short-duration and drought-tolerant rice variety of Nerica paddy by distributing incentives such as seeds and fertiliser to farmers during the ongoing T-Aman season.
However, the Nerica paddy, brought from Africa, reportedly has a negative reputation among both farmers and agriculture specialists, who say field trials have failed to produce any significant yield.
The Agriculture Ministry has allocated around Tk5.5 core to distribute seed and fertiliser for cultivating the Nerica paddy at 50,000 bigha of land in 31 districts.
