Health

The holding centres often lack necessities like water and sanitation, and the people held there are lucky if they even receive two meals a day, as food stocks are often too low to supply enough meals. The need for blankets and winter kits is increasing.

The meeting also reviewed management of construction and demolition (C&D) waste, with emphasis on designating C&D waste sites, stopping demolition activities during peak pollution periods, and partnering recycler associations for scientific disposal.

The initiative’s cornerstone is the Training and Capacity Building Programme Calendar prepared by the National Fisheries Development Board in coordination with Indian Council of Agricultural Research fisheries institutes.

Speaking at the launch, officials highlighted how PANKHUDI aligns with prime minister Narendra Modi's vision of leveraging technology as a bridge between the government and citizens.

These twin initiatives – ministerial oversight of state action plans and on-ground inspections by CAQM – reflect an intensified government push to address chronic air pollution in the NCR.

In the first quarter of 2025, Bangladesh reported only 641 malaria cases and one death – a dramatic fall from the 13,099 cases and six deaths recorded in 2024, and a far cry from the 84,690 cases and 154 fatalities seen in 2008 at the height of the country’s malaria burden.

Many households will meet minimum food needs only by depleting essential livelihood assets – a sharp deterioration compared with the previous year.

The Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index 2025 underscores that tobacco industry influence remains a formidable barrier to public health policy in Bangladesh and worldwide. While some countries demonstrate notable progress, Bangladesh’s mid-to-high interference score suggests that institutional reforms and stricter safeguards are urgently needed.