Labour Unrest- How long to wait for peace!

RMG in Bangladesh is passing through hard times due to unwanted circumstances which have erupted from fire incident in Tangin Garments Factory at Ashulia, Gazipur in the suberbs of Dhaka city. In fact, it is not an unusual fact that has bewildered us, rather we are very much accustomed to the happenings because our RMG's are not running in  keeping with the compliance in the work place though the fire incident is supposed to be a sabotage to ruin the garments industries in our country, tarnishing the image our country in the outside world. Some so-called villains are responsible for this catastrophy.

Zig zag Brick kiln—A positive step towards carbon emission  in Bangladesh

Carbon-di-oxide is the main culprit for carbon emission which leads to climate change & environmental pollution in a country. Bangladesh is most vulnerable to climate change & environmental pollution due to huge amount of carbon emission in the atmosphere. There are several factors responsible for carbon emission.  Brick kiln is one of them which emits a huge amount of  carbon-di-oxide gas in the atmosphere of the country. The Bull Trench Kilns had the largest market share for long one hundred & fifty years. Then comes the Fixed Chimney kilns (FCK).There are other brick kilns like Zigzag kilns, gas fired Hoffman kilns (HK) and Hybrid Hoffman kilns (HHK) to produce bricks. One study reveals that in 2006, market share for different brick kilns in Bangladesh was FCK-75.4 per cent, BTK-19.2 per cent, Zigzag kiln-4.8 per cent and HK-0.6 per cent. Though Hybrid Hoffman kiln & tunnel kiln are the latest kilns technology to produce bricks, yet Zig zag technology  is the pioneer  because Zigzag kilns are comparatively better in terms of fuel use and carbon emission.  Both BTKs and FCKs are poorly constructed and cause excessive leakage through the kiln walls. The conventional BTK and FCK consume huge amount of fuel but fail to utilize the effective heat energy for burning bricks. In the back drop of the present context, remission of carbon emission is a vital issue for ecological balance. In the mean time, the Bull Trench Kilns (BTK) & the Fixed Chimney kilns (FCK) have lost their appeal. It is estimated that a Fixed chimney (with 120 ft stack height) brick kiln (BTK requires almost the same) requires approximately 4-5 acres of land including around 2 acres for the kiln itself to install and operate. The gas fired Hoffman kilns and Hybrid Hoffman kilns are comparatively new addition in this country and they operate round the year. As the utility companies discourage gas supply to brick kilns, a limited number (approximately 30) of gas fired Hoffman kilns operate in the country and they are mainly established in and around Dhaka. The Tunnel kiln has no market share in our country because it has not become popular so far. The Zig zag kiln is the most prominent kiln technology in term of  fuel consumption &  carbon emission though its heat insulation system generally is not significantly better than FCK.

                                                

                                      Let me introduce myself to you !

The sentence sounds awesome.  There is no denying the fact that almost everybody in the society is desirous of   introducing himself or herself to the people. It has a great psychological effect on the growing people when he or she is introduced to them. Today's world is a self- acclamation age. Here as much as you can, try to introduce yourself to the society. Then you will manage to do something in the near future.

The useless thing is not always useless. Water hyacinth is no exception in this regard. It can be used as a raw material in paper industry instead of wood pulp. It can be used for various purposes.

Water hyacinth is an aquatic plant. It grows in watery places. It is very common in our country. Bangladesh is a land of rivers. In addition to rivers, there are beels, haors, canals, ponds, etc. in our country. There are seven species of water hyacinth. It is a free floating perennial aquatic plant native to tropical & sub tropical south America. Water hyacinth has been widely introduced throughout North America, Australia, Asia and  Africa.

In the Philippines,   some of the water hyacinth's stems  are used to form strands of string . These pieces of string are woven or interlinked together to form a braid or cord used for making bags, footwear, wreaths, hats, vases , and Christmas lanterns. Water hyacinth remains a major problem where effective control programs are not in place. Water hyacinth is often problematic in man-made ponds if uncontrolled, but can also provide a food source for gold fish, keep water clean and help to provide oxygen to man-made ponds.

Water hyacinth often invades bodies of water that have been impacted by human activities. For example, the plants can unbalance natural lifecycles in artificial reservoirs or in eutrophied lakes that receive large amounts of nutrients.

There are other uses being found for the abundant plants, such as for cattle food and in biogas production. Recently, they have also begun to be used in wastewater treatment due to their fast growth and ability to tolerate high levels of pollution. Parts of the plant are also used in the production of traditional handicrafts in Southeast Asia. In Bangladesh, farmers have started producing fertilizer using Water Hyacinth or Kochuripana .

There is no unmixed blessing in the world. The useless thing is not always useless. Water hyacinth is no exception in this regard. It can be used as a raw material in paper industry instead of wood pulp. It can be used for various purposes. It can be made into fertilizer. It can be made into furniture.

It has spread prolifically, due to lack of natural enemies, an abundance of space, agreeable temperature conditions, and abundant nutrients . It increased rapidly between 1992–1998, was greatly reduced by 2001, and has since resurged to a lesser degree. Management techniques include (hyacinth-eating) insect controls and manual beach cleanup efforts . A water hyacinth infestation is seldom totally eradicated. Instead, it is a situation that must be continually managed.

The effects on transportation and fishing are immediately felt. Where the weed is prolific, there is a general increase in several diseases, as the weed creates excellent breeding areas for mosquitoes and other insects. There are increased incidents of skin rash, cough, malaria, encephalitis, bilharzias, gastro intestinal disorders, and schistosomiasis. Water hyacinth also interferes with water treatment, irrigation, and water supply . It can smother aquatic life by deoxygenating the water, and it reduces nutrients for young fish in sheltered bays. It has blocked supply intakes for the hydroelectric plant, interrupting electrical power for entire cities. The weed also interrupts local subsistence fishing, blocking access to the beaches.

Hilsa Fish – Past , Present & Future

                                                       

                                       Hilsa  Fish – Past , Present & Future

Hilsa fish  (Scientific name: Tenualosa ilisha, Higher classification: Tenualosa) is the national fish of Bangladesh . It is  much coveted to the countrymen but it  is going to lose its past glory  & status as it has become scarce and almost threatened  with extinction. The life –cycle of hilsh fish is complex. It is basically a sea fish. It comes to river basin to release its eggs especially in the Padma-Meghna-Jamuna delta at the Bay of Bengal.  Some illegal fish traffickers catch Jatka ( young hilsa fish)  with current net & sell them in the local market stealthily. Such type of  fish is popularly known as Jatka. How ever,  this is not the end to the story. The fish traders annually export fish to the neighbouring country  India which  has a great impact on the price hike on this much coveted fish in the local market. Now it is almost a dream for us to have a one KG weighted hilsa fish to gratify our  desire. And if available , the price is sky-rocketing. The common  poor people can not afford to buy it. So, it is an illusion for us  to eat  a delicious , oily hilsa fish. within our  purchasing capacity. Not only that, we are going to lose other species of fish in the near future. Many species of fish have already become extinct in our country. We are no more known as Muchhe Bhate Banglagee ( Rice & fish eating Bangalee). Our next generation will hear fairy tales of hilsa fish from their grand parents as we do from ours.

     HOW SAFE  PEDESTRIANS ARE WHILE WALKING ON THE ROAD !

Mishap, accident, roadcrash, whatsoever you call it is not the point of debate now. What is happening, only happening in our real life is the grim picture of tears & agony we are watching every moment. Do you think, do you believe we are safe & secure from any wanted danger, any unwanted death ? Can you say you will return home safe & sound to join your near & dear ones after coming on to the street? May be, the answer is ‘No’. In fact, we do not know whether we will reach home because our style of living is full of risk & danger. This danger may come from road accident, from under construction building, or from any corner of which reason is known to us. But we are dying, dying of diseases, of ill health, of malnutrition, by pollution or, by accident. How can we get rid of it? We do not know. We are struggling to survive. We are living with worries & anxieties. But we need safety, safety to our life & property. We need safe road, safe road management to avoid traffic conjestion and to avoid road accident which has become a death trap to passengers in our country.
Effective road management can safeguard our life while walking on the road. Too many road accidents  occur due to carelessness of the reckless drivers. Unfit vehicles plying the roads & highways are a major threat to our life on the street. We are constantly in fear.  In the 21^st century of ICT & globalization, we can not allow any mismanagement. Effective use of technology in the roads & highways can minimize the number of accidents. Close circuit camera at  strategic traffic points, proper traffic signals, close monitoring over the incidents related to negligence to traffic rules, expansion of roads & highways & their repair & proper maintenance, valid traffic license, proper training to the drivers can to a substantial degree reduce the number of accidents in the country. Road accidents take heavy tolls of precious human lives. It is the name of tears & agony.
At the grass root level awareness should be raised among the common mass about traffic rules & regulations. Traffic rule violation should be duly punished. Delivering valid license should be ensured for safe & secure journey. Narrow roads & high ways should be expanded.   There can be computerized monitoring over the traffic control at the strategic points. We want to see no more death. We want safe road & safe life. A death can finish everything. It can nip in the buds all hopes & aspirations of a family if the bread winner dies in a premature death. In our country many precious lives have been snatched away by road accident. In Mirer Sarai, Sitakundu, a single road accident snatched away many tender lives. Every day we hear the news of road accident in some place or other in the country. It has become a household matter in our everyday life.
 We want a full stop to this demon. We want to travel on a safe route from one corner to another in the country. The mode of communication should be more speedy & hassle free. The socio economic activities of the country are closely connected with the road transport communication. So we appeal to the concerned authorities to take the matter into consideration.

         Labour & Industrial Law – How far implemented  in the context of Bangladesh

Labour & Industrial law of Bangladesh  is  time tested  law. The Employment of Labour ( Standing Orders) Act, 1965, The Employment of Labour ( Standing Orders) Act,1968, The Industrial Relations Ordinance, 1969, The Industrial Relations Rules, 1977, The Payment of wages Act, 1936, The Workmen’s Compensation Act, 1923, The Factories Act, 1965, The Shops & Establishment Act, 1965 & some other acts are in force in the industrial arena of the country. But the fact is that how far the workmen & employees of the country’s  factories & industries are enjoying their rights.