A medium-sized tree that fascinates with its bold, golden yellow beauty. Only golden yellow flowers are found throughout the entire plant on the leafy umbilical body. In spring, yellow petals fall and carpet the streets. Another beauty of nature is Udal tree and its flowers.

Udal is our native plant. Although their favorite habitat is the hilly area, earlier they were seen more or less all over the country. Due to indiscriminate cutting down of trees, this native tree is endangered along with other trees. Udal can be seen in many places in the plain including Mirpur National Park in Dhaka, Botanical Garden of Dhaka University, Bangla Academy, Ramna Park in Dhaka, Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin Park on Brahmaputra Bank in Mymensingh. Chattogram, Chattogram Hill Tracts, especially in mixed evergreen forests of Bandarban and Cox's Bazar, and in damp areas of deciduous Salbans in Gazipur, Mymensingh and Tangail.

The scientific name of Udal is Sterculia velosa. In English it is called hairy sterculia or elephant rope tree. A high quality fiber is obtained from the bark of this tree. It is also named in English because ropes for tying elephants were made with these fibers. It is also locally known as Chandul in our country. This plant is known as phew ban by the Mughs and Marmads, umak by the Garos and nam singh by the Mrods.

Udal grows to 20 meters or more in length. Their bark is white in color. Their leaf blades are long, the blades are large and the leaves are grooved, the leaves are concentrated at the front of the leaf branches. Flowers golden yellow, purple inside. Its fruit is green when raw but turns dark red when ripe. The seed color is black. The seeds are a favorite food of squirrels because they taste like nuts. But people also eat its fruits. Fiber is obtained from the bark. Rope is made from this fiber. The wood is brown in color, usually soft and light. Tea boxes are made from the wood of this tree.

Professor of Botany Department of Dhaka University Mohammad Jasimuddin told Barta24.com that this tree was abundant in the forests of the country. Syrup is made from the leaves of this plant. Larger trees are cut down as it is difficult to collect leaf buds from tall trees. After that many new branches grow from its base and leaf tips are collected from there. A transparent gum is also obtained from the Udal tree which is used in various works including confectionery.

He also said that this plant is currently an endangered species. Last year, the plant science department of Dhaka University distributed three hundred Udal tree seedlings to various schools and colleges. This time also about five hundred saplings will be distributed.

Dr. Jasim said, drinking Udal bark syrup keeps the body cool. Squeezing the stem of the flower and making syrup with sugar in water relieves urinary problems and rheumatic pain. But experts should be consulted before eating.

ACF Tabibur Rahman of Rangamati Forest Division said that the taste of Udal seeds is very much like almonds, so squirrels like them very much. However, this seed is also eaten by humans.

He also said that according to Schedule 4 of the Wildlife Conservation Act, 2012, Udal has been identified as a listed plant of 'critically endangered' species in Bangladesh.

Ferdous Hossain hails from Netrokona district. He has been working in Bangladesh Police for a long time. He served almost 10 years of his 22 years of service in the traffic department. Although remote control lights or modern technology are used in the traffic system in most of the small and big countries of the world, hope is still the hand gesture of Ferdous Hossain in Bangladesh.

As a result, everyone in charge of the A-section like Ferdous Hossain has to stand in front of the car with the risk of traffic control. Sometimes this traffic control system of hand signals is a victim of accidents. Rain or shine. Ferdous Hossain's big responsibility is to stand under the open sky with his two legs still in digital Bangladesh.

Ferdous Hossain said, we have to take risks for government work whether it is sunshine or rain. Sometimes accidents happen. But if we had a modern system, our suffering would have been less. Also the risk of life is reduced.

Not only Ferdous Hossain. Such a tragic story of controlling the traffic system of Dhaka, a city of traffic jams, is about four and a half thousand policemen. In addition to the waste of public resources, the government is also spending a lot of money.

Along with the waste of public resources, common people are also suffering. As a result of hand gesture control, many people have to sit on the road for extra time. Besides, the risk to pedestrians is also increasing gradually on the roads of Dhaka.

Samsul Haque, a private car driver, said that the policemen on duty are not seen when they are on the move. Their hand gestures are sometimes not visible. We have to pay a penalty for this besides, when people are crossing the road. It also causes accidents. All this could have been avoided if there was a modern system.

According to the data, automatic traffic signals were installed at 70 intersections under the Dhaka Urban Transport Project (DUTP) funded by the World Bank during the financial year 2001-02. Besides, digital traffic system was again installed at 29 intersections under the 'Clean Air and Sustainable Environment' (CASE) project in the financial year 2012-23. This project also had the cooperation of the World Bank. Two city corporations were responsible for the maintenance of these projects. However, due to lack of maintenance, these projects did not see the light of day. Within a few days the automatic traffic signal system was out of order.

In the fiscal year 2018-19, the government took the initiative to activate 43 traffic signals of Dhaka under the case project. As a result, only the red and green lights of the Gulshan two signals are lit, but all the others are useless.

People involved in traffic management say that in the last two decades, about Tk. 175 crores have been spent on traffic intersections and signal installations alone. However, despite spending so much money, the road connectivity of the capital has not been controlled. However, the police has increased the trust of traffic control at more than 115 traffic signals and more than 550 places. According to the information, the government is spending hundreds of crores of money annually to pay the salary of a large number of traffic police just to signal the movement of vehicles. However, if modernization is done, the risk of traffic police will be reduced with the reduction of road accidents, and the government will save a lot of money and manpower.

In this regard, Mustafizur Rahman, Assistant Police Commissioner of Gulshan zone of the traffic police, said that at least four policemen work at each of our intersections. If modern technology is used then our manpower will be less wastage and also our risk will be reduced.

Meanwhile, DTCA took another initiative to install an automatic traffic system at four intersections in Dhaka. It costs Tk. 52 crore. DTCA works on the Intelligent Traffic System (ITS) at four important points of two city corporations. These experimentally installed artificial intelligence traffic lights are standing as a demonstration due to the lack of software at Mohakhali and Gulshan-1 intersections of North City Corporation. The equipment of the south is lost.

The question is why so many projects failed in two decades? The new plan or the two city corporations.

All the projects worth around Tk. 200 crores in two decades were pilot projects. Due to the lack of success in the pilot project, the main project was not taken up. So there is no failure said Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority.

Traffic Enforcement Officer of Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority Salim Khan said all previous projects were pilot projects. Here is neither failure nor success. The original project was not taken up later as the projects did not have good prospects.

He said, we are working on another pilot project. AI based. Hope success will come in the next two months. After that we will work on it.

No one in charge of the Dhaka South City Corporation, which is in charge of the traffic system, was able to comment on this matter, but the North City Corporation has no problem with the previous project. However, North City Chief Executive Officer Mir Khairul Alam said that they are working on a new artificial intelligence traffic system.

He said, we are piloting artificial intelligence in Gulshan-2. We have already achieved success. This time digital will not be artificial intelligence based after that, as many projects as there will be. All will run with AI. We are moving towards that.

Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury said, "Out of 154 countries, 100 countries do not have any plan on climate change. Everyone in the world says that Bangladesh is a role model." However, according to the plan, the country needs 534 billion dollars by 2050 to combat climate change. International financial support is essential to finance this massive project.

Environment, Forests and Climate Change Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury said this on the second day of the UN Climate Adaptation Conference National Adaptation Plan (NAP) Expo 2024 held at the Bangabandhu International Conference Center in the capital on Monday (April 23) afternoon at the 'Advancement of National Climate Plans of Bangladesh' session.

The Minister said, there was a time when developed countries used to talk about climate change in other developing countries, least developed countries, underdeveloped countries and small island states, including Bangladesh. But now developed countries also have to think about climate change. So, climate change is a global issue, not just Bangladesh alone. Despite being a small country, Bangladesh is successfully dealing with the impact of climate change, so everyone in the world sees Bangladesh as a role model.

However, according to our plan, Bangladesh needs 534 billion by 2050 to tackle climate change. It is impossible for the government of Bangladesh alone to provide this huge amount of money. Therefore, international financial support is essential for the implementation of the climate plan. He also said that the World Bank and other international organizations working on financial loan support for climate change should change their perspective on loan support.

He also said that Bangladesh is committed to working together with international partners to build climate resilience. Together with all the countries participating in NAP Expo 2024, we are presenting the experience of how we have worked, the activities we have done to combat the impact of climate change in our country. In addition, the purpose of NAP Expo 2024 is to present the issue of climate change as a pillar at the upcoming COP conference in Baku, Azerbaijan.

In his speech, the Minister also highlighted Bangladesh's leadership in global climate adaptation, including Bangladesh's significant progress in developing and implementing the National Climate Plan.

"Advancement of National Climate Plans of Bangladesh" session was presided over by the Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Dr. Farhina Ahmed. Malik Fida A Khan, Executive Director, CEGIS; AKM Sohail, Additional Secretary, ERD, and Chair, International Climate Finance Cell; Kennel DELUSCA, Ph.D., ITAP Member, Green Climate Fund; Dr. M. Asaduzzaman spoke as a climate expert panelist on the challenges, opportunities and lessons learned in NAP formulation and implementation in Bangladesh. Dharitri Kumar Sarkar, Deputy Secretary of the Ministry, and Mirza Shawkat Ali, Director, Department of Environment, presented the Bangladesh National Adaptation Plan 2023-2050.

The work has not been completed even 10 years after taking the initiative to set up a water treatment plant at a cost of Tk. 6 crore to supply safe and pure water to the households of the Lama Pourashava of Bandarban.

Residents of Lama Municipality in Bandarban still depend on water from rivers, mountain streams, springs and tube wells. As a result, the area remains prone to various water-borne diseases. In 2013, Bandarban Public Health and Engineering Department started the supply work by extracting water from Matamuhuri river and treating it, but the project has not been completed and the public suffering is still there.

In this, Tk. 6 crore have been allocated by the government for the construction of projects to meet the water needs of the hill communities, but there is no trace.

Sohrab Hossain, the Executive Engineer of Public Health Engineering Department of Bandarban, who was in charge at that time, said that the construction cost had increased while implementing the project. Revised estimate has been sent to Ministry of Planning. The contractor did not complete the project despite paying the bills to the company on time. At present I am not in the service, the one who is doing the duty there can say better.

Bandarban Public Health Engineering Department Engineer Anupam Dey said that in the light of reality, the project cost has increased by an additional Tk. 1 crore 87 lakh. The project cannot be completed due to lack of this amount of money. When asked how the contractor is withdrawing the entire amount, he said that he does not know.

It is learnt that during the financial year 2013-14, the project was started by Public Health Engineering at a cost of Tk. 6 crore under the water supply system development program in Lama Pourasahva. As the scope of work increased, it was revised and increased to Tk. 7 crore 87 lakh. Tk. 1 crore 87 lakhs project work is stopped due to non-approval of the Ministry of Planning and Finance.

According to local sources, in the project, M/s Ratan Sen Tangnchagya Contractor Company got the work order for construction of water treatment plant with capacity of 100 cubic meters per hour and laying pipe line through 4 packages. Tk. 3 crores have already been spent on the project.

According to the contractor, the work of 4 packages has been completed at a cost of Tk. 88 lakh 61 thousand taka for laying the pipe line. Due to lack of allocation, the work of a package of Tk. 42 lakh 49 thousand could not be completed. Besides, no mechanical, machineries and electrical works of the water treatment plant project have been done.

Lama Pourashava Mayor Zahirul Islam said that safe water is very important for Lama hill township. So if the project is launched it is possible to solve the water problem.

Abdur Razzak, Sub Assistant Engineer of Lama Upazila Public Health Engineering, said that problems have arisen due to mind-boggling projects without regard to government regulations and lack of supervision from higher authorities. If the Dhaka office wrote several times to the Bandarban Engineer to inform about the status of the project, no reply was given. As a result of which this project has become deadlocked.

Md. Ibrahim, a local resident, said, We had boundless hope as the Department of Public Health Engineering started the project to provide safe drinking water to the residents of Lama. As a result of the project being abandoned after doing some work, there is a waste of government money on the one hand and there is extreme frustration among the local residents on the other hand. Safe drinking water has been strongly demanded to protect the local people from suffering.