GW news desk with Abdur Rahman Jahangir, UNB Staff Writer Dhaka, Mar 19 – When the residents in the capital are feeling the pinch of summer heat and pleasant cold coming in a rotation for several weeks people in the…
Category: Perspectives
Checks and balances before roads and bridges
Paolo Mauro Washington, DC – In the 2016 American presidential election, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump agreed that the US economy is suffering from dilapidated infrastructure, and both called for greater investment in renovating and upgrading the country’s public capital…
BNP’s sit-in protest against gas price hike Thursday
Dhaka – The BNP will stage a two-hour sit-in programme in the city and elsewhere in the country from 10:00am Thursday protesting the recent hike in gas prices.
Liquid hydrogen may be way forward for sustainable air travel
Transport makes up around 20 percent of our energy use around the world–and that figure is set to grow, according to the International Energy Agency. With sustainable solutions in mind, a new study published by eminent physicist Jo Hermans in…
Sykes’s Nightjar bird spotted in Bangladesh: IUCN
Dhaka, Feb 18 – A new species of — Sykes’s Nightjar — has been spotted for the first time in Bangladesh showing a change in its distribution range. Sykes’s Nightjar (Caprimulgus mahrattensis), is a semi-desert species of bird, is generally…
20-yr-old buses to be driven out: Dhaka South Mayor
Dhaka, Feb 15 – Buses that are 20 years old cannot ply the roads under Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) from the next month.
More whales stranded in New Zealand, bringing total to 650
Wellington, Feb 11 (AP/UNB) — A new pod of 240 whales swam aground at a remote New Zealand beach on Saturday just hours after weary volunteers managed to refloat a different group of whales following an earlier mass stranding. In…
Bangladesh PM blasts anti-Rampal plant campaigners again
Dhaka, Jan 28 – Lambasting again those who are opposing Rampal power plant project Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday said there is no possibility of environmental damage for implementation of the project.
Indian SC transfers case on cleaning Ganges to Green Tribunal
The Supreme Court on Tuesday wrapped up a PIL on cleaning of river Ganga and sent it to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) for more effective adjudication. The apex court had been monitoring the issue for 31 years.
No chance for locals to be in climate project framing: TIB
Dhaka, Jan 23 – Local people do not get the scope to participate in the formulation of climate change projects at local government level since most such projects have been taken based on political consideration, says a new study of…
Human population and animal extinctions
An interview with Dr. Jeffrey McKee “As our human population grows and our difficulties mount to feed over 7 billion people, we are not the only species at stake.” As part of Worldwatch’s investigation on how voluntary family planning relates…
BNP smells ‘cool relation’ between Bangabhaban & govt
Dhaka – Stating that the President and the Prime Minister gave different statements over dialogue with political parties, BNP on Wednesday doubted whether there is going a cool relationship between the Bangabhaban and the government.
Human chain against monkeys of Sylhet city
Dhaka, Jan 16 – Residents of Ambarkhana area in Sylhet city, in the northeastern part of Bangladesh, have urged the authorities to take necessary steps for stopping the annoyances created by monkeys.
Bangladesh faces uphill task to make cities sustainable
Dhaka, Jan 15 – Amid rapid urban population growth in the country, it will be very difficult for Bangladesh to make its cities sustainable by 2030 in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) unless there is an inclusive urbanisation…
Proposal for felling over 13000 trees gets nod
Dhaka, Jan 9 – The Cabinet on Monday approved a proposal for cutting of 13,356 trees of forests under the Forest Department for implementing gas distribution pipeline project from Sreepur to Joydevpur to be implemented by the Titas Gas Transmission…
Environmental police to fight smog in China
Officials in Beijing are taking steps toward tackling the city’s long-standing smog problem with the creation of an environmental police force, according to state media.
World’s incredible rooftops
A new book celebrates amazing urban spaces in the sky. Fiona Macdonald picks out ten projects that have helped transform cities across the globe, BBC has reported. By Fiona Macdonald
Global demo Jan 7 protest Rampal coal plant near Sundarbans
N.Y. – As part of a global day of action and in solidarity with the Save the Sundarbans movement, New York-based Bangladeshi environmental groups, Friends of the Earth U.S. and allies will hold a protest on Saturday, January 7 at…
Biosafety Protocol stalled on risk assessment
Further work on biosafety risk assessment which is a key pillar under the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety has received a setback at the United Nations Biodiversity Conference which ended on 17 December in Cancun, Mexico.The 8th meeting of the Conference…
EU supports forming strong, independent EC in Bangladesh
Dhaka – The European Union (EU) has encouraged Bangladesh in forming an independent, impartial, non-partisan and highly-qualified Election Commission to hold the next general elections in a fully participatory way.
Unauthorised bottling of ‘mineral water’ on sharp rise in Khulna
Khulna – Producing and bottling ‘mineral water’ in unhygienic condition has turned into a booming business across Khulna division. Sixteen business entities have been operating fraudulent water treatment and filtration plants throughout the division without having license from the Bangladesh Standards…
Why cutting soot emissions is ‘fastest solution’ to Arctic ice melt
World leaders should redouble efforts to cut soot emissions because it is the cheapest and fastest way to combat climate change, climate scientists and advocates have told the Guardian.Deposits of soot – unburned carbon particles – have stained parts of…
Corruption driving land grabbing crisis everywhere
Communities around the world are being robbed of the land on which they depend. According to Global Witness data, in 2015, an average of more than three people each week were killed defending their land against theft and the ruinous…
India pulls out of key conference on sustainable dev in Pakistan
India has pulled out of a key regional conference on sustainable development which is being held in Pakistan in the latest sign of heightened tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, a media report said today.Apart from India, Bangladesh and Iran…
Biodiversity confce plan for benefit sharing of genetiic sequences
Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) have adopted a decision on sequence information of genetic resources that sets in motion a plan intended to lead to an important decision at their next meeting in two years’ time.The decision…
CIA, FBI agree Russia intervened in US presidential election
The CIA and FBI have concluded that Russia interfered in the US presidential election in support of eventual winner Donald Trump. The White House also agrees with the findings.
Higher learning only for high calibre pupils: BD experts
Dhaka – The University Grants Commission (UGC) has recommended limiting the master’s course to only meritorious students to ensure the high quality of education, UNB news agency has reported. “It’s desirable that master’s courses will remain open only for selected…
Forge an opposition front, Zafrullah to Khaleda
Dhaka – Gonoshasthaya Kendra founder Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury on Thursday suggested BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia to form a ‘combined opposition front’ together with major and small political parties to ‘restore’ democracy and people’s voting rights’. UNB news agency reported
Marrakech proclamation for action on climate and sustainable dev
Marrakech (Hilary Chiew) – Parties at the climate talks on 17 Nov supported the call issued by the President of the Conference of Parties to the UNFCCC entitled the ‘Marrakech Action Proclamation for our Climate and Sustainable Development’. The President…
Manipur villagers stand against Pabram Dam on Barak River
The Morung Express Imphal – The JAC against 190 MW Pabram Dam (JAC on Pabram Dam) and the Centre for Research and Advocacy, Manipur (CRAM) organized community meetings and awareness on protection of land, natural resources in Langpram, Khunphung and…