Probir Bidhan: A Journo's Diary

Sharing Information And Thoughts

Category: Birds and Animals

  • The endangered Asian Elephants

    The endangered Asian Elephants

    According to IUCN SSC Asian Elephant Specialist Group (AsESG) reported in August 2021, there are now only about 48,000-50,000 Asian Elephants found in 13 range states. More than 60% of the wild population exists in India alone. Only four other countries – Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar and Sri Lanka – have more than 2,000 wild elephants.…

  • Sundarbans Oil Spill: Is Bangladesh capable of facing disasters?

    Now ‎Dolphins‬ started dying after the ‎Sundarbans‬ oil spill. Fishes, birds, crabs are already dying. Next are the deer and tigers, and what not! However, it’s no big deal for this ‪‎government and the administration of 2014‪ Bangladesh! Its minister says the oil spill will not harm the forest much! They are building two 1320MW coal-run power plants – despite knowing…

  • Legalise cattle smuggling from India

    Just before his retirement, the then BSF chief UK Bansal in November 2012 had made some observations about the Indian Border Security Force’s policies, and gave solution to the unabated killings and torture of Bangladeshi people along the border, especially of the large number of so-called cattle smugglers. The most important thing he said rationally…

  • High Court may act now for Rampal

    The High Court on Tuesday will hear for the second day a public interest litigation four lawyers have filed against a massive coal-run power plant in Bangladesh coastal district Bagerhat and construction of an anchorage for unloading coal in the reserve forest area. The plant site has 1834 acres on the bank of a river…

  • DoE defends approval of EIA for Sundarbans coal plant

    The Department of Environment (DoE) gave the EIA green signal after eight revisions and imposing a number of conditions to protect the World Heritage Site, declared by the Unesco, and river Pashur which is a sweet-water dolphin sanctuary. The final environmental clearance for the project would be given after implementation of the project “only if…

  • Tanneries in Dhaka: No more menace please!

    Probir K Sarker & Abu Bakar Siddique Published in Dhaka Tribune on June 5; bottom has latest development When tanneries were initially allowed to operate in the Hazaribagh area, at the western part of the capital, close to Turag river, no planning had taken place. Now, the number of tanneries exceed 200, over the last six decades,…

  • Tree-felling needs to be controlled

    Deforestation has become a grave concern these days for the Bangladesh environmentalists who are monitoring the trend and also the rate of change in climate and at the same time, its adverse impacts. Even though there are laws, the smugglers with the help of influential individuals and forest officials have been robbing the forests in…

  • Save the Sundarbans, shift Rampal coal-power plant

    The govts of Bangladesh & India have started officially the work of Rampal power plant by holding the first-ever meeting of the joint venture company in Dhaka. The Bangladesh govt seems to be pleased to show India that it can keep its words. The Daily Star has again done the job of a mouthpiece of…

  • Objection! Punish the housing and real estate demons Ashiyan & Bashundhara!

    Realtors have warned Rajuk not to interfere in its ongoing fair in Dhaka, means there could be some unauthorised plots/apartments sold in the fair like the previous days. I was very disappointed to read the story in Wednesday morning. Last year, the High Court declared 77 such schemes “illegal” and some of those are very…

  • Impacts of brickfields neglected, still!

    We are so constrained a people, situationally and conditionally, that we tend to ignore many implied ills for a single apparent gain. Such an issue is the ever-expanding “brick-making industry”, given the fact that brick appears to be an essential item in this era of urbanisation and industrialisation. But, unfortunately, many consequential problems have arisen…

  • হায় ফুলবাড়ি! তোমার কপালে কি কেবল দু:খ লেখা?

    [slideshow]এই বিষয়ে লেখা ঠিক আগের ব্লগটিতে আশংকা করেছিলাম “এসব কর্মকান্ড প্রতিহত করতে চাইলে জনগনের উপর আবার খড়গহস্ত হবে বর্তমানে শেখ হাসিনার তত্বাবধানে থাকা পেটোয়া বাহিনী!” হ্যাঁ, তাই হয়েছে আজ। ফুলবাড়িতে স্থানীয়দের জনসভা বানচালে সরকার ১৪৪ ধারা দিয়েছে। আমি ধিক্কার জানাই। এশিয়া এনার্জিকে আবার উন্মুক্ত খনি খননকাজে সহযোগিতা করার সিদ্ধান্ত বাস্তবায়নের পূর্বে মাননীয় প্রধানমন্ত্রী আপনার উচিত…

  • Brickfields like necklace for Dhakai people

    [slideshow] When will we go tough against the polluters who bully laws, and harm people and the environment only for profits? Will the time come after witnessing a disaster or in the beginning of a gradual decline, or must before whole system collapses? However, in the case of ensuring clean environment, I prefer ‘better late…

  • Bangladesh’s real estate and housing firms big polluters

    Realtors real violators L-R: Filling low-lying wetlands and destroying aquatic life and ecology. Not following the directives related to the surroundings of a site including keeping open space. Photo: STAR (left), writer (right) Published in The Daily Star on November 10, 12 Even though the Department of Environment ‘DoE’ and Rajuk have been penalizing real…

  • Open-pit, Asia Energy (GCM plc) prioritised again for Phulbari mine!

      [slideshow] The government panel to assess a suitable coal extraction method has, evidently, suggested open-cut method for Phulbari mine and review of a previous proposal by a multinational company citing many reasons to establish the opinion. The news was published first on Saturday by The Daily Star, which has been questioned for its pro-government…

  • Be careful about land grabbers Ashiyan City, Bashundhara

    Now we see the Ashiyan Group campaigning thoroughly for its mega project ‘Ashiyan City’ near Dhaka airport raises the eyebrows of people who know that this is not a ‘valid one’, though it is in papers. The firm, a member of realtors’ group REHAB, is advertising vastly on the top selling newspapers, including Prothom Alo.…

  • Top firms polluting much

    [slideshow] Pollution in Savar area When the local businesses are growing fast, it’s alarming to witness that many renowned companies have been ignoring environmental rules. These incidents are recently being revealed thanks to the enforcement drives by the Department of Environment (DoE), led by a director, Mohammad Munir Chowdhury. This man must be applauded, though…

  • Stop Hill Cutting Now, Save the Nature for Future

    Down with the hills! The Daily Star September 8, 2012 Hill cutting continues unabated despite ban  Though Bangladesh is prominently a plain land, its Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, Rangamati, Khagrachhari, Bandarban and Sylhet have hilly areas with forests and rich biodiversity. These areas are full of natural resources fulfilling needs of the people and other living…

  • Let’s save the environment, Earth

    Left: Denudation of forests goes on unabated. Right: River water remains polluted to the extreme. The Daily Star/Environment August 4, 2012 Amid growing industrialisation and pressure of increasing population, and consequent massive pollution due to gross violation of environmental rules, the government has cut this year the budgetary allocation for the Ministry of Environment and…

  • Business, protection of environment equally important

    Ship-breaking: Still considered a hazardous polluter The Daily Star June 30, 2012 It was audacious, but at the same time a logical sequel of irregularities by government officials, to see major business leaders of the steel mills, re-rolling mills, plastic factories and brickfields demanding that they be relieved from being penalized for polluting the environment.…

  • Rio+20 roundup, and Bangladesh

    Is ‘green economy’ the answer? The Daily Star June 17, 2012 The UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) must take decisive action on population and consumption regardless of political taboos or it will struggle to tackle the alarming decline of the global environment. The warning came from the world’s leading scientific academies on Thursday. “The…

  • Save Savar from further environmental degradation

    L-R: Brickfields in Ashulia burn firewood and emit carbon in the air. Discharge from industrial establishment at Bank Town polluting adjacent waterbody. Click for more photos The daily Star May 26, 2012 Environment Probir Kumar Sarker Over the recent years, Savar is experiencing immense pressure of new industrial, commercial and residential establishments. But most of…

  • Trees can save Dhaka from heat and air pollution

    (Clockwise) : Congested concrete structures conserve heat to the inconvenience of urban dwellers. The more an urban area is interspersed by greenery the better it is for reducing its heat and air pollution. Treelined streets not only add to serenity but provide cooling effect to urban surrounding. The Daily Star Environment Saturday May 19, 2012…

  • Guest birds avert JU sanctuary?

      The lakes a year ago and at present. Photos: Monwar Hossain Tuhin/JU teacher & Palash Khan/The Daily Star Published on May 12, 2012 Environment The Daily Star The number of guest birds coming every year to Jahangirnagar University (JU) lakes since the eighties has been falling for the last few years in such a…

  • Shipbreaking saves iron, steel imports, say industrialists

    Shipbreaking saves iron, steel imports, say industrialists

    bdnews24.com Sep 3, 2009 Bangladesh’s shipbreaking industry, operating along the Chittagong coastline, and under fire for environmentally unsound practices including destruction of forests and coastal pollution, remains the only local source of raw materials for the country’s iron and metal industry, industrialists said Thursday. The breaking yards supplied over 1.5 million metric tonnes of scrap…

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