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Flash floods are one of the most prevalent natural disasters, triggering deadly damage to homesteads, crops, infrastructure, road networks, communications, and the natural environment in the Haor (Wetland) region of Bangladesh. The purpose of the study aims to identify eleven (11) hydro-geomorphological driving factors, namely elevation, slope, aspect, rainfall, land use and land cover (LULC), lithology, soil type, topographic wetness index (TWI), Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), distance from the river, and drainage density, which are being explored for mapping flood-prone areas. This research has produced a flash flood susceptibility map using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Analytical Network Process (ANP), which are interactive decision-making approaches under multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) in ArcGIS 10.8. The findings of this study showed that the susceptibility to flood hazards differs significantly among the seven Haor districts. As a result of the ANP and AHP, a more significant proportion of the Haor region is moderately susceptible to flooding (8685.09–9275.15 sq. km.), whereas 35.34 %–38.32 % (7069.70–7668.67 sq. km.) accounts for high susceptible to flooding. Furthermore, 200 flood locations were identified in the northeast Haor region, where 140 (70 %) randomly selected floods were used for training, and the remaining 60 (30 %) were employed for validation purposes. The validation results showed that the AHP model had greater prediction accuracy (the area under the receiver operating curve (AUROC) = 92.1 %) than the ANP (AUROC = 88.5 %) model. Therefore, the study findings can be helpful for researchers, academics, policymakers, and planners for sustainable flood mitigation strategies, particularly in Haor areas.

Rohingya forced migration has damaged the tourism destination in Bangladesh. The research focuses on the impact of Rohingya influx on tourism destination in Cox’s Bazar district in Bangladesh. The environmental aspects of the tourism destination have been highlighted in this study. This research has been conducted using mixed method approaches consisting of both qualitative and quantitative data. The primary data has been collected through qualitative and quantitative approaches. Qualitative data has been collected using Focus Group Discussion (FGD) and In-depth interviews. Three distinct groups have been focused on as samples for the study, including tourist experts, host communities, and Rohingya experts. Questionnaire survey has been conducted to gather quantitative data regarding the Rohingya forced migration's impact on tourism. Key Informant Interview (KII) has also been used to check the quantitative data accuracy of this study. The study found majority (64 %) of the respondent strongly agreed that forest cover has been decreasing due to the Rohingya influx, and it has been destroying the beauty of tourist destinations. The water channel is an integral part of the environment in the tourist destination. Almost 55% of the respondents strongly agreed that Rohingya is the primary source of water pollution. Almost 45 % of people strongly agreed, and 41.5% agreed that Rohingya is the main causes for solid waste pollution in tourism destination at Cox’s Bazar. In addition, more than fifty percent of the local people agree that house building materials, domestic and market waste, and solid wastes generated from Rohingya people are responsible for the destruction of the tourist harbor. The study has also identified that Rohingya are responsible for the destruction of tourism based local economy in Cox’s Bazar district, Bangladesh. Research findings of this study could be used to mitigate the impact of Rohingya migrants on the tourism environment in Bangladesh.

This study aims to find a suitable site for a nuclear power plant using the geographic information system and analytical hierarchy process in the Khulna division, Bangladesh. Selection of a suitable site for a nuclear power plant is vital for the safety of the installation, workers, the public, and the environment. This study was conducted considering four stages, namely conceptual and planning, area survey, site characterization, and site confirmation stage. In the area survey stage, six criteria were divided into twelve sub-criteria, namely population density, earthquake, river, riverbank erosion, airport, road and railway, protected area, forest, groundwater table, rainfall, wind speed, and thunderstorm. A suitability map of each sub-criterion was made using geographic information system software. The weighting of each criterion was determined using an analytical hierarchy process and finally, a geographic information system-based overlay analysis was performed to prepare the final suitability map of the Khulna division which indicates 315.30 km2 and 2991.27 km2 of its total area as the most suitable and suitable, respectively for nuclear power plant establishment. Twenty-six potential areas were selected from the most suitable areas for further study. This study follows a comprehensive methodology and thus may help policymakers for the establishment of nuclear power plants in Bangladesh and abroad.

Abstract Background The safety of health care workers (HCWs) in Bangladesh and the factors associated with getting COVID-19 have been infrequently studied. The aim of this study was to address this gap by assessing the capacity development and safety measures of HCWs in Bangladesh who have been exposed to COVID-19 and by identifying the factors associated with respondents’ self-reported participation in capacity development trainings and their safety practices. Methods This cross-sectional study was based on an online survey of 811 HCWs working at 39 dedicated COVID-19 hospitals in Bangladesh. A pretested structured questionnaire consisting of questions related to respondents’ characteristics, capacity development trainings and safety measures was administered. Binary logistic regressions were run to assess the association between explanatory and dependent variables. Results Among the respondents, 58.1% had been engaged for at least 2 months in COVID-19 care, with 56.5% of them attending capacity development training on the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), 44.1% attending training on hand hygiene, and 35% attending training on respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette. Only 18.1% reported having read COVID-19-related guidelines. Approximately 50% of the respondents claimed that there was an inadequate supply of PPE for hospitals and HCWs. Almost 60% of the respondents feared a high possibility of becoming COVID-19-positive. Compared to physicians, support staff [odds ratio (OR) 4.37, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.25–8.51] and medical technologists (OR 8.77, 95% CI 3.14–24.47) were more exhausted from working in COVID-19 care. Respondents with longer duty rosters were more exhausted, and those who were still receiving infection prevention and control (IPC) trainings were less exhausted (OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.34–0.86). Those who read COVID-19 guidelines perceived a lower risk of being infected by COVID-19 (OR 0.44, 95% CI 0.29–0.67). Compared to the respondents who strongly agreed that hospitals had a sufficient supply of PPE, others who disagreed (OR 2.68, 95% CI 1.31–5.51) and strongly disagreed (OR 5.05, 95% CI 2.15–11.89) had a higher apprehension of infection by COVID-19. Conclusion The findings indicated a need for necessary support, including continuous training, a reasonable duty roster, timely diagnosis of patients, and an adequate supply of quality PPE.

Abstract Background The purpose of the study was to measure the prevalence of hyponatremia and its association with clinical and laboratory characteristics of hospitalized coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) patients at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH). Methods This retrospective study was conducted in COVID‐19 dedicated wards at DMCH from June to August 2020. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were collected from patient treatment sheets. Two groups of COVID‐19 patients were retrospectively screened on the basis of plasma sodium level at admission: hyponatremic (sodium

Summary: Background: As evidence is mounting regarding irrational and often unnecessary use of antibiotics during the COVID-19 pandemic a cross-sectional Point Prevalence Survey (PPS) (in accordance with WHO guideline) was conducted across COVID-19 dedicated wards in Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH). Methodology: Antibiotic usage data were collected from 193 patients at different COVID-19 dedicated wards at DMCH on 11 June 2020. Comparisons in antibiotic usage were made between different groups using Pearson chi-square and Fisher's exact test. Result: Findings reveal all surveyed patients (100%) were receiving at least one antibiotic with 133 patients (68.91%) receiving multiple antibiotics. Overall, patients presenting with the severe disease received more antibiotics. Third-generation cephalosporins (i.e. ceftriaxone) (53.8%), meropenem (40.9%), moxifloxacin (29.5%), and doxycycline (25.4%) were the four most prescribed antibiotics among surveyed patients. Diabetes mellitus (DM) was independently associated with multiple antibiotic prescribing. Abnormal C-reactive protein (CRP) and serum d-dimer were linked with higher odds of multiple antibiotic prescribing among study patients. Conclusion: Prevalence of multiple antibiotic prescriptions was high among severely ill patients and those with abnormal CRP and d-dimer levels. Data regarding the quality of antibiotic prescribing were lacking.

Novel SARS-CoV-2 variants are emerging at an alarming rate. The delta variant and other variants of concern (VoC) carry spike (S)-protein mutations, which have the potential to evade protective immunity, to trigger break-through infections after COVID-19 vaccination, and to propagate future waves of COVID-19 pandemic. To identify SARS CoV-2 variants in Bangladesh, patients who are RT-PCR-positive for COVID-19 infections in Dhaka were screened by a RT-PCR melting curve analysis for spike protein mutations. To assess the anti-SARS CoV-2 antibody responses, the levels of the anti-S -proteins IgA and IgG and the anti-N-protein IgG were measured by ELISA. Of a total of 36 RT-PCR positive samples (75%), 27 were identified as delta variants, with one carrying an additional Q677H mutation and two with single nucleotide substitutions at position 23029 (compared to Wuhan-Hu-1 reference NC 045512) in the genome sequence. Three (8.3%) were identified as beta variants, two (5.5%) were identified as alpha variants, three (8.3%) were identified as having a B.1.1.318 lineage, and one sample was identified as an eta variant (B.1.525) carrying an additional V687L mutation. The trend of higher viral load (lower Cp values) among delta variants than in the alpha and beta variants was of borderline statistical significance (p = 0.045). Prospective studies with larger Bangladeshi cohorts are warranted to confirm the emergence of S-protein mutations and their association with antibody response in natural infection and potential breakthrough in vaccinated subjects.

The financial performance of banks relies heavily on properly utilizing their capital. However, bank ownership can have varying effects on the relationship between financial performance and capital. This study delves into this relationship by examining the impact of ownership on financial performance and bank capital. The study analyzes data from 44 commercial banks in Bangladesh and uses a twostep system generalized method of moments to address heteroscedasticity and autocorrelation issues. Unlike previous studies, this study confirms the significant effect of ownership on the relationship between bank financial performance and bank capital. The study's main findings are: (1) an inverted U-shaped relationship exists between bank capital and financial performance, implying that increasing capital can improve and reduce financial performance. (2) Private and Islamic commercial banks perform better than state-owned and conventional banks. (3) private-owned and Islamic commercial banks with higher capital are more likely to achieve higher profitability and financial success, while state-owned and conventional commercial banks with higher capital show lower profitability and weaker financial performance. Overall, this study offers significant practical implications for academics, researchers, and regulators interested in leveraging these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the role of reserved-seat women members of the Union Parishad, the lowest unit of local government in Bangladesh. The number of women representatives has increased manifold over the years, most of whom are elected from reserved seats. Formally, a reserved-seat member has a larger constituency than a general seat member; and enjoys almost similar powers and responsibilities. In practice, there remains a major gap between what the rules say and what transpires on the ground. Notwithstanding their increased presence, women elected from reserved seats to the Union Parishad, often find it difficult to make their presence felt and are ignored, especially by their male colleagues, for several reasons. This article identifies those reasons and argues that women's increased presence is a necessary but not a sufficient condition of empowerment. Legitimacy gained through winning elections in a competitive process and the willingness of the elected women to get things done in an adversarial situation can be considered important steps towards empowerment. Nonetheless, more is needed, especially organised support from outside, to enhance empowerment and make it sustainable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the persistence and factors associated with sleep disturbances among COVID‐19 patients with a history of sleep disturbances 2 months after discharge from the hospital. A total of 400 patients admitted at Dhaka Medical College Hospital during July and August were diagnosed as suffering from sleep disturbances during their hospital stay using a standardized scale. They were followed up 2 months later through telephone, and a total of 322 participants were interviewed (excluding 63 nonresponders and five deceased) regarding the persistence of disturbances in sleep through a structured questionnaire. Patient demographic, clinical, and epidemiological data including history regarding in‐hospital sleep disturbance were retrieved from hospital treatment sheets. Results revealed, 35% of study participants (n = 113) were still experiencing symptoms of sleep disturbances during the interview by telephone. Age (p = 0.015), diabetes mellitus (relative risk [RR]: 1.21; confidence interval [CI]: 1.02–1.42, p = 0.022), on admission SPO2 (p = 0.009), C‐reactive protein (CRP) (p = 0.025), serum ferritin (p = 0.014), and d‐dimer (p = 0.030) were independently associated with sleep disturbances among participants (p < 0.05). Binary and fitting logistic regression through repeated K folds cross‐validation revealed 1.65 (CI: 1.02–2.66), 1.07 (CI: 1.01–1.14), and 1.07 (CI: 1.00–1.15) times higher odds of persistence of sleep disturbances among patients with diabetes mellitus, increased neutrophil, and lymphocyte percentages, respectively. Findings of this study need to be validated and patients should be further followed up with more in‐depth studies conducted 6 or 12 months after initial infection, possibly with the help of higher sample size and in‐person interview. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]