The Bangladesh Today (09-02-2018)

EDITORIAL
FRIdAY,
FeBRuARY 9, 2018
4
Acting Editor & Publisher : Jobaer Alam
Telephone: +8802-9104683-84, Fax: 9127103
e-mail: editor@thebangladeshtoday.com
Friday, February 9, 2018
Risky disposal of
medical wastes
M
edical
wastes, due to their contents of
hazardous substances, pose serious
threats to environmental health . The
hazardous substances include pathological and
infectious materials, sharps, and chemical
wastes . In hospitals, different kinds of
therapeutic procedures (i.e. cobalt therapy,
chemotherapy, dialysis, surgery, delivery,
resection of gangrenous organs, autopsy,
biopsy, para clinical test, injections etc.) are
carried out and result in the production of
infectious wastes, sharp objects, radioactive
wastes and chemical materials .
Medical waste may carry germs of diseases
such as hepatitis B and AIDS. In developing
countries, medical waste has not received much
attention and it is disposed of together with
domestic waste . Improper medical waste
management is a growing concern in
Bangladesh and it poses a serious threat to
public health.
Medical waste contains highly toxic metals,
toxic chemicals, pathogenic viruses and bacteria
which can lead to pathological dysfunction of
the human body . Medical waste presents a high
risk to doctors, nurses, technicians, sweepers,
hospital visitors and patients due to arbitrary
management.
It is a common observation in Dhaka City that
poor scavengers, women and children collect
some of the medical wastes (e.g. syringeneedles,
saline bags, blood bags etc.) for
reselling despite the deadly health risks. It has
long been known that the re-use of syringes can
cause the spread of infections such as AIDS and
hepatitis . The collection of disposable medical
items (particularly syringes), its re-sale and
potential re-use without sterilization could
cause a serious disease burden .
The safe disposal and subsequent destruction
of medical waste is a key step in the reduction of
illness or injury through contact with this
potentially hazardous material, and in the
prevention of environmental contamination.
The management of medical waste therefore,
has been of major concern due to potentially
high risks to human health and the
environment .
The growing number of hospitals, clinics, and
diagnostic laboratories in Dhaka City exerts a
tremendous impact on public health and
environment. All of the hospitals, clinics, and
diagnostic laboratories are considered here as
the health care centres( HCEs). Some 600
HCEs in Dhaka city generate about 200 tons of
waste a day . Like ordinary household waste,
medical wastes are generally dumped into DCC
bins. It is reported that even body parts are
dumped on the streets by the HCEs. The liquid
and solid wastes containing hazardous
materials are simply dumped into the nearest
drain or garbage heap respectively.
But proper management of medical waste is
crucial to minimise health risks. The
improvement of present waste management
practices for HCEs in Bangladesh will have a
significant long-term impact on minimising the
spread of infectious diseases. Medical waste
requires specialized treatment and
management from its source to final disposal.
Simply disposing of it into dustbins, drains, and
canals or finally dumping it to the outskirts of
the city poses a serious public health hazard.
Thus, there is a need to initiate a concentrated
effort to improve the medical waste
management to reduce the negative impact of
waste on: environment; public health; and
safety at health care facilities.
Medical wastes account for a very small
fraction, about one percent of the total solid
wastes generated in Bangladesh . However,
when this tiny amount is not handled properly,
it gets mixed with domestic solid waste, and the
whole waste stream becomes potentially
hazardous.
Until recently, there was no system for proper
medical waste management in Bangladesh to
protect environmental health hazards. It was
generally disposed of in the same way as
ordinary domestic waste. But, very recently,
government is trying to develop a system to
handle medical waste properly. But this
disposal system is still a namesake one. It needs
to be quickly turned into a comprehensive
facility covering all the HCEs to effectively
address the issue of safe disposal of medical
garbage.
After demonstrating judicial
restraint for the past several
months, the apex court has
finally responded strongly. One senator
has been sent behind bars and is barred
from holding public office for five years
over contempt of court; two federal
ministers are facing the same charges.
Contempt notices have also been issued
to Nawaz Sharif and his daughter
Maryam Nawaz by the Lahore High
Court.
But that has not deterred the ousted
prime minister and his loyalists from
attacking the judges. The confrontation
between the judiciary and Sharif has
become ugly and destructive. Neither
side seems to be relenting. To many, it
appears like a no-holds-barred clash of
egos.
In fact, Sharif's tenor has become
more defiant and hostile after the
Supreme Court's latest action. The
daughter who has now taken centre
stage in national politics is far more
vitriolic in her statements. It is not just
about being hurt by the court ruling that
disqualified a third-time prime minister
and put the entire family in the dock; in
fact, it is mainly to do with the sense of
hubris that drives Sharif to carry out his
anti-judiciary campaign.
Whenever the apex court has tried to
assert itself, it has faced a backlash from
the executive.
The Supreme Court has not backed
down, and, in fact, appears to have gone
on the offensive. "If the judges of this
court were weaklings or feeble at heart
and if they could be frightened or
browbeaten by verbal assaults or naked
threats, then the respondent, namely
Senator Nehal Hashmi, had surely
made a valiant attempt at that. It,
however, appears that he and those he
I
've spent the last two years talking
with parents about the
unprecedented stress and anxiety
plaguing their adolescents - nearly half of
whom, according to recent studies of
college students, report feeling
"overwhelmed by all I had to do". Our
conversations often end with parents
expressing a mournful wish: "I just want
her to be happy," they tell me. "But she
puts so much pressure on herself."
As parents, we say this phrase from a
place of good intention. We want to signal
to our children that we don't need or
expect them to be perfect, and that we will
love them no matter what. Yet, the very
phrasing of the statement - "on herself" -
lays blame for distress at the feet of our
teens, rather than a culture that is stoking
the flames of their anxiety. It puts the
onus for change on children - just chill, we
seem to be saying, and you'll be okay! -
letting the rest of us off the hook, even as
we may unwittingly exacerbate their
distress.
In fact, we may be making it worse. A
new study called 'Perfectionism Is
Increasing Over Time' finds that young
people are more burdened than ever by
pressure from others, and that includes
parents. Psychologists Thomas Curran
and Andrew Hill found that unhealthy
perfectionism has surged among young
adults, with the biggest increase seen in
those who feel pressured by the
expectations of others. Perfectionism, the
dangerous collision
wanted to obey or please are poor
judges of men," Justice Asif Saeed
Khosa stated in his ruling.
It is rare that judges enter into
polemics and use such strong language
notwithstanding extreme provocation
from the other side. Could this show of
anger possibly cloud the contempt-ofcourt
proceedings against the Sharifs
and the two federal ministers?
Indeed, no one can condone the
outrageous and threatening language
used by Nehal Hashmi against the
honourable judges and their families.
Yet slapping a jail sentence on him and
unseating him (in the Senate) after he
had tendered an unconditional apology
does seem too severe, and can open the
apex court to criticism and allegations of
being 'vengeful'.
It is apparent that the tirade launched
by Sharif loyalists is a calculated
political move and is meant to bring the
judges under pressure as the
accountability court comes close to
winding up the graft case against the
former prime minister and his family.
study's authors say, is a mix of excessively
high personal standards ("I have to excel
at everything I do") and intense selfcriticism
("I'm a complete failure if I fall
short"). In its unhealthiest forms,
perfectionism can lead to eating
disorders, depression, high blood
pressure and thoughts of suicide.
Perfectionism is caused by a variety of
factors, not only parents. Young adults
have described pressure to appear
flawless in every domain, often
effortlessly so - in schoolwork, athletics,
activities, and looks - since the early
2000s. Social media has raised the bar in
the pursuit of teen perfection, introducing
a place where the drive to project success,
as much as a wish to connect, draws
youth like moths to the digital flame. As
ZAHId HuSSAIN
Sharif is also playing the victim card to
win public sympathy and mobilise
supporters for the coming general
elections.
But the judges are expected to
exercise prudence. It is indeed a testing
time for the judiciary as it is seen to
adopt an overly active approach. There
is always the danger of the judiciary
becoming politicised if it encroaches on
the domain of the executive and the
legislature. Previously, we saw how the
The Supreme Court has not backed down, and, in
fact, appears to have gone on the offensive. "If the
judges of this court were weaklings or feeble at heart
and if they could be frightened or browbeaten by
verbal assaults or naked threats, then the
respondent, namely Senator Nehal Hashmi, had
surely made a valiant attempt at that. It, however,
appears that he and those he wanted to obey or
please are poor judges of men," Justice Asif Saeed
Khosa stated in his ruling.
RACHeL SIMMoNS
sanctity of the apex court was damaged
under former chief justice Iftikhar
Chaudhry. It is extremely harmful for
the institution if judicial rulings are seen
as being driven by populism.
This tendency is now apparent as the
clash of institutions turns serious. While
it is wrong for political leaders to
demean the judiciary it is not becoming
of the top judge to indulge in public
debate. And it is not appropriate for
judges to respond to every criticism or
defend themselves in public. They must
only speak through their judgements.
Indeed, the present confrontation
children hungrily seek the "likes" of their
peers, it is not uncommon for many to
delete posts that don't receive enough
"likes". (The one-like-per-minute ratio is
most desirable, according to the many
teens I speak with.)
But the parental push to raise an ubersuccessful
child has never been more
keenly felt, so much so that researchers
But the parental push to raise an uber-successful child
has never been more keenly felt, so much so that researchers
have a name for it: "Child-contingent self-esteem", or the
tendency for a parent to base their own self-worth on the
success of their child. Parents now spend more time than
ever on school work with their children, while time spent
simply hanging out has declined. Meanwhile, between 1986
and 2006, the number of children who said their parents
surveilled their every move has doubled.
have a name for it: "Child-contingent selfesteem",
or the tendency for a parent to
base their own self-worth on the success
of their child. Parents now spend more
time than ever on school work with their
children, while time spent simply
hanging out has declined. Meanwhile,
between 1986 and 2006, the number of
children who said their parents surveilled
their every move has doubled.
between the judiciary and the executive
is not unprecedented. We have
witnessed such tensions between the
two pillars of the state in the past as well.
It is a manifestation of a systemic
failure. For the most part of the
country's history, the judiciary largely
remained subservient to the executive -
both under civilian and military rules.
That clouded its independence.
Whenever the apex court tried to
assert its authority it would face a strong
backlash from the executive. The first
thing any military regime would do was
to purge the top judiciary to remove any
legal challenge to its power. That's how
military dictators would obtain
legitimacy from the Supreme Court.
This tendency to control the judiciary
was equally strong during civilian rule.
We have seen every elected government
getting into a confrontation with the
Supreme Court since the 1990s. It was
the clash with the then chief justice that
contributed to the fall of Benazir
Bhutto's second government in 1996
beside other reasons.
But for Nawaz Sharif, who enjoyed
the blessing of the establishment in the
past, it has been a totally different story.
Unlike as in the Bhuttos' case, the
judiciary has traditionally been soft on
the leader from Punjab. Only Nawaz
Sharif's government could get away
unpunished after storming the
Supreme Court and dividing the judges.
The then chief justice was sent packing
by his brother judges.
It was the darkest episode in
Pakistan's judicial and political history
when the judges were allegedly bribed
to rebel against the chief justice.
Source : Dawn
Perfectionism among teens is rampant - and parents aren’t helping
Everyone has the right to change
their opinions and to choose or
dump their political beliefs or
allegiances. At an intellectual level,
changing or discarding an opinion is
considered a sign of a healthy mind.
A cardinal rule in academia is to keep
questioning the axiom unrelentingly.
Professor Sarvepalli Gopal's masterly
lectures (in gentle Oxbridge) on the kisan
movement in Uttar Pradesh opened
entire new perspectives for his history
students. However, when a student one
day noted an anomaly in what he was
saying and what he had written in his
book, the historian's rejoinder contained
a world of wisdom: "Is there anything
wrong in changing an opinion?"
Journalists are a part of a society's
intellectual sinews. As with any other
profession, there are good journalists and
bad journalists. Some journalists, be it out
of personal ambition or missionary zeal,
cross over into the political arena.
Well-regarded journalists in India have
gone to the Congress, others have gone to
the BJP. A few have become active
members of the Aam Aadmi Party and so
forth. Some journalists end up becoming
public relations officers for business
houses they otherwise served less
honestly as handout hacks. There was a
time when a fairly large number of
journalists actively belonged to the left,
some of them card-carrying members of
this or that communist party.
Well-regarded journalists in India have
gone to the Congress, others have gone to
View from the spider’s web
the BJP. After the recent bout of
communal violence in Kasganj in Uttar
Pradesh a few of my colleagues rushed to
the spot to investigate the story. I picked
up Riot After Riot, an insightful book by a
journalist-turned-politician about
religious violence and other forms of
conflicts dogging India. M.J. Akbar's
book carries a word of praise from
Khushwant Singh, another giant of a
journalist.
The Congress party inducted both as
MPs; Singh went to Rajya Sabha under
Indira Gandhi and Akbar to the Lok
Sabha to be part of Rajiv Gandhi's
eventful tenure. Khushwant Singh
supported Mrs Gandhi's emergency and
later sponsored the candidature of BJP
leader Lal Kishan Advani to Lok Sabha, a
decision he later regretted. Akbar went
over to the Rajya Sabha as Prime Minister
Modi's handpicked man assigned to an
JAwed NAqVI
important cabinet post at the foreign
ministry.
We don't really know what Akbar feels
about the transition from this to that
party. I am not even aware if he has ever
explained the reasons for the transition.
But let us see what he wrote earlier and
whether his political move to join the
Bharatiya Janata Party, the political front
The Congress party inducted both as MPs; Singh went
to Rajya Sabha under Indira Gandhi and Akbar to the
Lok Sabha to be part of Rajiv Gandhi's eventful tenure.
Khushwant Singh supported Mrs Gandhi's emergency
and later sponsored the candidature of BJP leader Lal
Kishan Advani to Lok Sabha, a decision he later
regretted. Akbar went over to the Rajya Sabha as Prime
Minister Modi's handpicked man assigned to an
important cabinet post at the foreign ministry.
of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh he
once criticised, came with a change of
opinion about his faith in India's secular
tryst. "Law and order have two enemies:
the Full Truth and the Complete Lie.
When people realise the truth, they start
revolutions. When they are fed lies they
begin meaningless riots." I am quoting
from Riot After Riot.
"Lies are the staple of every communal
disturbance. They are spread by people
who have a stake in this stupid violence,
who have something to gain out of
In other words, teens are not the only
ones guilty of "putting too much
pressure" on themselves - the push to
fulfil others' expectations has never been
higher, for parents too.
In the recent perfectionism study,
published in the journal Psychological
Bulletin, the researchers examined how
cultural changes over the past three
decades have shaped the personalities of
40,000 college students in the United
States, Canada and Britain. It revealed a
bump in two types of perfectionism: "selforiented"
(in other words, having high
expectations of yourself), and "otheroriented",
where people have rigorous
standards for others, and treat them with
hostility or disdain when they fall short.
But the most dramatic finding, by far, was
a 33 per cent spike in the kind of
perfectionism where teens feel they must be
perfect to win approval from others,
whether it be friends, social media followers
or parents. These teens tend to believe
others judge them harshly, and they see
their schools and families as unreasonably
demanding. Psychologists call this the most
debilitating form of perfectionism, because
youth are plagued by the feeling they've let
others down, whether it be by bottoming
out on a test score, missing a shot on goal or
getting a "no" from a first-choice college. It
is associated with major psychopathology
like anxiety and depressive symptoms.
Source : Gulf News
impoverished Hindus and Muslims
fighting each other. Businessmen,
traders, politicians, goondas, 'leaders of
cultural organisations' (like the Hindu
Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh - RSS)
feed the people with lies, watch these lies
become convictions in people's hearts,
watch the passions build up, and then
these leaders actually set up the events
which will provoke a conflagration. They
simply stick a pin into the nerves of
people, and it is only a matter of time
before the people explode.
"Then, when the first round of violence
is over, when the initial steam has been let
off, the lies keep on circulating. The
people must not realise that they have
been fooled. Or they will tear down their
false heroes. There is fuel ready in the
murky events that make up communal
violence, and upon this more lies are
heaped and spread.
"After all, if the Hindus and Muslims
live in peace, how will the RSS find
another convert? How will the trader sell
arms? How will a shopkeeper have the
pleasure seeing a rival's shop burn down?
How will the goondas loot? How will the
communalist kill fellow human beings?
Keep the life floating friends!"
In a chapter titled 'Split-level war in
Jamshedpur', Akbar blended some
serious spot reporting with useful insights
into what can be discerned as a pattern of
communal violence generally, and in
Jamshedpur specifically.
Source : Dawn