First dengue death reported this year
Bangladesh reported its first dengue death of the year in the last 24 hours until Saturday morning. The death has been reported in the Dhaka North City Corporation, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). During this period, 56 more patients were hospitalised with the viral fever, bringing the total number of cases to 221, it added. Of the new cases, 9 dengue patients were admitted in hospital under Dhaka North City Corporation while 12 were hospitalised in Dhaka South City Corporation. Currently, 436 patients are receiving treatment in hospitals across the country. Last year, dengue claimed the lives of 575 people. According to the DGHS, there were 101,214 dengue cases and 100,040 recoveries in 2024. — UNB
DMP withdraws ban on public gatherings in areas adjacent
to Turag River
The ban on public gatherings in areas surrounding the Turag River, Tongi's Kamarpura, Abdullahpur, and Uttara Sector 10 has been withdrawn. The decision was revealed through public notice issued by Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) on Friday. The notice, signed by DMP Commissioner Sheikh Md Sajjat Ali, said that the decision was made considering the current situation. On December 18, DMP prohibited meetings, processions, rallies, and demonstrations in these areas following a clash between two factions of Tablighi Jamaat on December 17 over control of the Bishwa Ijtema ground that left four people dead. — UNB
Dhaka air quality 'unhealthy'
Dhaka's air quality ranked the 11th worst globally on Saturday as the city continued to grapple with 'unhealthy' pollution levels, according to the Air Quality Index (AQI). Despite being a weekend, the city's AQI score stood at 177 at 11:30 am. Earlier in the morning, the score was 174 at 9:00 am and rose slightly to 176 by 10:00 am, according to data published by the US Embassy in Dhaka. The situation was worse on Friday night, with the AQI score peaking at 249 at 11pm, categorising it as "very unhealthy." The levels gradually declined overnight, dropping to 192 at 4am on Saturday, 177 at 7am, and eventually settling at 176 by 10am. Real-time updates from the Department of Environment, or DoE, were hindered due to a two-hour server outage caused by a power cut at its Agargaon office starting at 8am. DoE Deputy Director Mohammad Abdul Motalib said: "The server was down because of a power outage in Agargaon. Updates will be available once power is restored around 4:00 pm." The AQI data shows that neighbouring cities like India's New Delhi and Nepal's Kathmandu recorded worse pollution levels. Wuhan in China topped the global list with an AQI score of 271. — bdnews24.com
Sylhet witnessed 38 deaths in 31 road crashes in Dec
The number of road accident casualties in Sylhet division rose in December compared to November, 2024, according to a report of Nirapad Sarak Chai (Nischa), Sylhet. As many as 38 people were killed and 77 injured in 31 road crashes in Sylhet Division in December, it said. Among the deceased 12 people were killed in accidents involving motorbikes, five were passengers of CNG-run auto-rickshaws and nine pedestrians, it said. Zahirul Islam Mishu, convener of Nischa, said the report was published based on media reports and information collected by Nischa's Sylhet branch. According to the report, Habiganj district witnessed the highest number of road accidents, while Sunamganj district had the fewest. — UNB
