Fertiliser from human waste

This informative BSS report from Rajshahi was published by an English daily a few days ago. It pointed to a potentially endless source of organic fertiliser that is more useful and better for the soil than the usual chemical fertilisers now being used. It uses human excreta, which after proper composting can be used as a fertiliser. This was tried out and practiced in four unions under the Bagmara upazila of Rajshahi and Manda upazila of Naogon from December 2009 to March 2012. Aside from being a useful fertiliser, it also provides a hygienic and eco-friendly solution for better rural shallow latrines. The key issue of the process is preparing the compost properly that requires instruction and training of the local farmers.

I would appeal to all our dailies to follow up on this interesting matter in our overall national interest, This rural organic fertiliser needs no plant, equipment or technology.

Engr. S. A. Mansoor

Dhaka

Epidemic of political insanity

Bangladesh is in the grip of a serious epidemic called political insanity. It has affected most of the politicians irrespective of their party affiliation. The initial symptoms are mild and almost unrecognisable. The symptoms gradually increase in intensity from incoherent speeches to open paranoid acts. They tend to justify their acts through reasons of their own making. They exhibit a false face of emotion which emanates from paranoid delusions. A real catastrophe which affects the non-political people deeply fails to arouse even the slightest reaction in them. They seem to enjoy worst forms of violence on others as long as it does not affect them directly. Only Bangladeshi politicians seem to be susceptible to this condition due probably to some genetic disorder. There is no known cure of the disease as yet.

Shahjahan Hafiz Gulshan, Dhaka