Haque Specialized Group's News

Many children in the country are suffering from different eyesight problems mainly due to malnutrition, overuse of electronic-display devices and long stay in artificial light, experts have said. Due to lack of proper treatment and care, three children become permanently blind and eventually become burden on the family and society, they added. The experts also said many of these children can get rid of such problems and contribute to their families and the country's economy if proper and timely treatment is provided to them. According to a study conducted by UK-based International Centre for Eye Health (ICEH), there were more than 40,000 blind children in Bangladesh more than a decade ago. Though no such study has been conducted in recent years, the problem is still prevalent, experts said. Another survey has revealed that around 1.0 million Bangladeshi children below six years of age are the victims of nutritional blindness while more than 30,000 children fall victim to night blindness per year. Taking this into consideration, a non-profit organisation called 'Light House' (LH) Trust is extending its support to underprivileged visually-impaired children. When contacted, LH Trust officials said roughly two-thirds of visual impairment among children might be permanently cured or prevented, once proper treatment is provided to them. Founder of LH Trust Dr Kazi Shabbir Anwar said common types of vision problems prevalent among the children are cataract and after-effects of other diseases. Cataract is totally curable while the latter is preventable with proper treatment in time, he added.      Dr Shabbir, a fellow of paediatric ophthalmology of University of British Columbia (UBC) Canada, has been providing service through his organisation since 2000.  He has so far provided eye-care services to more than 1,900 children since 2005. Light House Trust was formally registered as a non-profit organisation last year. It is providing treatment to 10/12 children per month, said Mr Shabbir, a specialist in child ophthalmology.     saif.febd@gmail.com....

Published at: 2017-08-15 05:00:07

Bangladesh has been experiencing excessive rainfall since the pre-monsoon period this time due to westerly disturbance and persisting active monsoon over the country, demonstrating unusual behaviour of climate, say meteorologists, reports UNB. They said the higher amount of rainfall was recorded during the pre-monsoon time -- March, April and May -- this year compared to several years in the last decade due to westerly disturbance which they said a freaky behaviour of the nature. As the monsoon is active over the Bangladesh this year, the meteorologists said the country has been receiving a high rainfall during the traditional monsoon period as well since June and the trend continues. "Heavy rainfall may continue to occur at different parts of the country until August 17, aggravating the current flood situation here further," said Omar Farroque, a meteorologist at the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD). He said over 300 mm of average rain were recorded within 12 days of this August, which is very higher than the normal rainfall. "The country was supposed to receive 403 mm of average rain throughout the month. Around 371 mm average rain was recorded all through August in 2016." Abul Kalam Mallik, another BMD meteorologist, said monsoon in Bangladesh spans over four months--June, July, August and September--while light rainfall usually starts occurring after the Bangla month of Baishakh. "This year the rain started before the Baishakh. We experienced downpour even in March, an unusual pattern," he said. BMD senior meteorologist Abdul Mannan said the country has been receiving an excessive precipitation this year due to 4-5 depressions formed over the Bay of Bengal during the pre-monsoon period and persisting active monsoon since June, a trend that has not been seen in the past decade. He said Chittagong and Sylhet regions have been experiencing unusual amount of rainfall over the last few years as well as this year. "The unusual behaviour of the weather is a major reason behind it." The meteorologists, however, are unwilling to call it a cause of climate change effect without an extensive research on climate variability or examining the 50 years' rainfall pattern of the country. But, they fear that country's weather pattern is going to be more unpredictable in the future as the nature is showing its strange behaviour. They also viewed that although the country is receiving excessive precipitation, it has less contributions to frequent floods this year as waters from the upstream are mainly responsible for flooding in the downstream. According to Met office statistics, the country's average rainfall was recorded 622 mm in July which is 32.7 per cent higher than the normal rainfall. The country experienced 557.8 mm average rainfall last year during the period. In June this year, 457 mm average rain was recorded in the country, which is 3.7 per cent higher than the normal rainfall and 144 mm higher than last year's. The average precipitation was 16 per cent lower than that of normal rain in the country in May this year while it was 106 per cent higher in April and 152 per cent higher in March. Contacted, eminent climate expert Dr Atiq Rahman said the country is receiving higher rainfall this season than the previous years. "The 50 years' record-breaking rainfall was recorded in April this year. "This is surely an unusual behaviour of the climate." He said the global temperature is rising gradually as the 2015 was the warmest year in the history of the earth while the 2016 was warmer than 2015. "So, there's no doubt that temperature has increased in Bangladesh as well, which is one of the reasons for the rise in rainfall here." "We don't find equilibrium in temperature, humidity and rainfall. We call it erratic behaviour of climate, which is casting adverse impacts on agriculture, ecosystem and biodiversity," Atiq observed. Another Climate expert Dr Ainun Nishat said the country's this year's rainfall is not very unusual. "The other countries in the region like India, China and Myanmar are receiving very excessive rain this year, which is a major reason for frequent flooding in the downstream Bangladesh." He said Bangladesh may face a severe flood in the coming days as the monsoon is very active over the upstream countries of the region.....

Published at: 2017-08-15 05:00:07

Thousands of Hajj pilgrims from the country are decked in a spate of hopelessness and helplessness. Never before, such a situation happened in transiting the Hajj pilgrims, for many of them it's a life-time aspiration to fulfill the religious tenet. While the Holy Hajj is approaching fast, tens of thousands of intending pilgrims are simply locked in increasing worries. According to reports, more than half of the intending pilgrims are yet to be facilitated with all travel requisites to fly into Saudi Arabia. A total of about 130,000 people from the country intended to perform the Holy Hajj this year. The critical issue has been the visas coupled with the sudden imposition of additional fees for those who had performed the annual ritual earlier. Meanwhile, blame-game continues between the concerned ministry and the Hajj or travel agents. The national carrier, Biman Bangladesh Airlines, had to cancel two dozen of its scheduled flights to carry the pilgrims. Saudi Airlines has reportedly cancelled some flights too due to the lack of passengers. The situation became so bad and alarming that the High Court had to direct the foreign ministry to help resolve the crisis by communicating with the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with regard to the visa complications. The court also directed the concerned authorities to seek explanation from those responsible for the mess. Truly, this is most unfortunate. Thousands of people plan for years to perform the important rite. Many of them are poor and have made enormous sacrifices throughout their lives to arrange for completing this rite. What answer do they have now at their failure to accomplish their dream? It is not the first time that such a situation has befallen in smooth transit of the pilgrims. There have been a plethora of reports concerning mismanagement by the agents in Bangladeshi Haji camps in Saudi Arabia. Every time any such happens, there are only assurances of probe and better services next time. Unfortunately the next time never arrives and the woes continue to mount. Every year, about two hundred thousand people from Indonesia proceed to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj. It is reported that each and every Indonesian pilgrim enjoys a smooth journey. The authorities in Indonesia are learnt to have a developed comprehensive Hajj management profile that ensures flawless pilgrimage. Over three thousand people from different ministries are trained and deployed in the Hajj management axis to assist the pilgrims.     It all seems that there is no end of the vicious cycle of creating obstacles for the intending pilgrims during the Hajj. It is not known when discipline will be in effect to ensure hassle-free journeys for the pilgrims. As the intending Hajj pilgrims continue to count the beads in desperation to materialise their cherished goal of accomplishing the life-time ritual, it is truly an unfortunate and unacceptable failure in enabling them with a comfortable transit. Those responsible remain irresponsible and scot-free while the aspirant pilgrims continue to face the hiccups. [The writer is a corporate social responsibility (CSR) consultant and national TV/Radio broadcaster. mohicsr@gmail.com]....

Published at: 2017-08-15 05:00:07

The regulator asked merchant bankers and stockbrokers to submit individual plans for resolving within a year the margin loan-related problems--some dating back to the market crash. As per the regulatory instructions, the merchant bankers and stockbrokers will have to come up with their specific remedial plans within a week, sources said Monday. The regulatory instructions came Sunday following the lenders' proposals for extending timeframe of conducting share transactions on margin accounts having negative equity. The timeframe--which was earlier extended several times--of conducting transactions in margin accounts having negative equity ends on August 18. At a meeting held Sunday with the securities regulator, the affected merchant bankers and stockbrokers urged the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) to extend the timeframe for one more year.  "The regulator may extend the timeframe. But the problems regarding margin loans cannot go forever. That's why the BSEC asked the lenders to solve the problem within one year," said Ahmad Rashid Lali, president of the DSE Brokers Association of Bangladesh. He said the lenders will have to submit the respective plans as to how the margin loans can be adjusted within a year. "After submission of proposals, the securities regulator will monitor the lenders' activities on resolving margin loans on a case-to- case basis," Ahmad Rashid said. BSEC officials said the lenders will have to solve the problems of margin loans as per their respective plans. "The regulator will stretch its helping hand if the lenders come forward to solve the longstanding problem of margin loans. Otherwise, the regulator will be tough as per rules," said one BSEC official. A good number of merchant banks and brokerage firms have yet to come out of the woods due to gross mismatch between the funds they had lent as margin loans and the value of the stocks. The greater portion of margin loans was disbursed by the merchant banks and brokerage firms before the 2010-11 stock-market debacle following burst of bubble on the capital market. No identical account of margin loans is available as the stakeholders have mentioned varied figures. The volume of outstanding margin loans advanced by merchant banks and brokerage firms of both the stock exchanges rose to Tk 225.29 billion, inclusive of interest, according to DSE's information sent to the BSEC in August 2015. At the time, the outstanding amount of such margin loans was Tk 0.87 million to Tk 9.61 billion. The erosion witnessed by some margin-loan providers was from 30 per cent to 50 per cent. The major margin-loan providers were AIBL Capital Market Services, PFI Securities, NBL Securities, LankaBangla Securities, Bank Asia Securities, Mercantile Bank Securities, Fareast Stocks and Bonds, NCC Bank Securities and Financial Services, Reliance Brokerage Services, Shahjalal Islami Bank Securities, MTB Securities, International Leasing Securities, IFIC Securities, ICB Securities and Trading Company, DBL Securities, Premier Bank Securities, City Brokerage and EBL Securities. The amount of outstanding margin loans came down to Tk 116 billion in July 2017 from Tk 225.29 billion calculated in August 2015, according to information sent to BSEC. In a letter sent to the finance minister in April 2016 the merchant bankers had said the amount of negative equity was around Tk 140 billion. At Sunday's meeting, the merchant bankers said the amount of negative equity now halved to around Tk 70 billion. Meanwhile, some merchant banks including IDLC Investments adjusted margin loans through internal management.        mufazzal.fe@gmail.com....

Published at: 2017-08-15 05:00:07

India is yet to confirm its third line of credit (LoC) worth US$4.5 billion credit (LoC) despite Bangladesh's request for holding a meeting on this issue, officials concerned said Monday. Officials said although India assured Bangladesh of providing the loan during the visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to New Delhi in April last, the lender is delaying signing of the final agreement on the promised loan. "We have reminded New Delhi about holding negotiations on the third LoC. But they are yet to fix any date for negotiations. This has delayed the confirmation of the loan," said a Ministry of Finance (MoF) official. He told the FE they had primarily selected 17 development projects for execution with the third Indian LoC. But the process is now stalled due to delay in the loan confirmation. The MoF official said soon after completing negotiations, the two sides will sign a loan deal. During the visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India on April 8, Delhi and Dhaka signed an MoU for the 3rd LoC. Another official at the MoF said: "We are waiting for the draft of the loan deal from India. When we get it, we will take preparation for negotiations with New Delhi." Earlier, India confirmed two LoCs for facilitating Bangladesh's development, especially for improvement of infrastructure for setting up cross-border transportation links. In August 2010, India offered Bangladesh first LoC worth $862 million under which it undertook 15 projects. Out of the 15, eight projects had already been completed and the remaining seven are in the process of execution. Besides, the neighbouring country signed the second $2.0 billion LoC in March 2016 under which some 14 projects have been taken up for execution. The MoF official said setback in the way of implementing some projects under the first LoC could affect confirmation of the 3rd LOC. Although the first LoC was signed seven years ago and some projects are yet to be completed, the lender could delay its third $4.5 billion LoC for Bangladesh, he added. Most of the schemes under the $2.0 billion second LoC are yet to be started, he added. Meanwhile, the government has selected some 17 projects including construction of 4-lane road from Benapole-Jessore-Narail-Bhatiapara-Bhanaga; 4-lane road from border Ramgarh to Baruirhat and 4-lane road from Mynamati (Comilla)-Brahmanbaria-Sarail for implementation under the third Indian LoC. kabirhumayan10@gmail.com....

Published at: 2017-08-15 05:00:07