Rajshahi City Research Articles

Fatty Acid Profile of Freshwater Crab (Paratelphusha lamellifrons) from Padma River of Rajshahi City, Bangladesh

Freshwater crab Paratelphusha lamellifrons from Padma River were investigated for proximate and fatty acid composition. Proximate analyses of the claw and body meat of crab revealed the presence of moisture, crude protein, crude lipid and ash and their amount ranges between 71.72%-81.30%, 35.01%-49.06%, 13.24%-17.64% and 19.62%-22.12% respectively, on a dry weight basis. Except lipid (17.64%), claw meat content higher amount of moisture (81.30%), protein (49.06%) and ash (22.12%) compared to body meat. The fatty acid composition was analyzed by GC-FID and total 12 types of fatty acid were recorded in the fat isolated from crab. Among the recorded fatty acids MUFA were observed as the highest (42.85%), SFA were the second (25.96%) whereas, polyunsaturated (PUFA) were the lowest (15.02%). The fatty acid compositions showed that the SFA, MUFA and PUFA were dominated by palmitic acid (20.49%), oleic acid (23.99%) and linoleic acid (9.81%) respectively. The proximate and fatty acid composition of the present study demonstrated that these species (P. lamellifrons) are a promising source of essential fatty acids ω-3 and ω-6 namely, DHA and EPA.

Effect of Environmental Impact in Building Constructions

This paper deals with the effect of environment in construction work in a particular area. Surrounding environment has immense effect in construction plan, site management, costs and implementation. On the contrary, it affects the workmanship’s availability as well as material availability. Moreover, duration of a certain projects also depend on the impact of environment. Effect of climate, rainfall, humidity and temperature are the noticeable fact in the paper. This article represents the environmental effect of a particular place in Rajshahi city of Bangladesh which is known as RUET campus. Outcome of the investigation shows that the significant effect can be observed in the various ingredients of environment as well as construction project.

Evaluation of the growth performance of fishes in industrial waste fed ponds under Rajshahi City Corporation

Growth performance of fishes was evaluated for a period of six months (May to October, 2007) in industrial waste fed ponds located at Rajshahi City under three different treatments of species variation namely Tl (Labeo rohita, Catla catla, Cirrhinus mrigala, Hypophthalmichthys molitrix, Cyprinus carpio) in non waste pond, T2 (L. rohita, C. catla, C. mrigala, H. molitrix, C. carpio, Labeo bata) in industrial waste fed pond and T3 (L. rohita, C. catla, C. mrigala, H. molitrix, C. carpio, L. bata, Oreochromis nilotica) in waste fed pond. All the treatments were replicated twice. Stocking density 14,000 individuals/ha was same for all the treatments. The average initial weight of fish was 28.9g. Treatments had no significant effect on the mean SGR and survival rate of fishes except C. carpio. Mean SGR (%, bwd-1), weight gain (g), final weight (g) and survival rate (%) varied from 1.14±0.26 (T2) to 1.67±0.44 (T1), 34.00±2.81 (T2), to 114.22±12.37 (T1), 235.75±2.59 (T3) to 752.50±4.50 (T1), 60.50±4.50 (T3) to 82.50±2.50% (T2), respectively. Total fish yield (Kg/ha) significantly (P<0.05) varied from 2234.50±24.40 (T2), to 2532.50±1.50 (T1). Mean water temperature [(27.73±0.50 (T1) to 28.09±0.53°C (T2)], dissolved oxygen [(4.45±0.18 (T3) to 6.00±0.22 mg/l (T2)], pH (7.73±0.11 (T1) to 8.32±0.15 (T3)], ammonia-nitrogen [(0.0069±0.0018 (T1) to 0.039±0.0029 mg/1 (T3)] and total alkalinity (95.09±3.22 (T1) to 160.49±18.97 mg/I (T2) significantly (P<0.05) varied under the different treatments.
 Asian Australas. J. Biosci. Biotechnol. 2016, 1 (3), 492-503

Numerical Analysis on Seepage through Earthen Embankment Protected by Cement Concrete Block (CC Block) in Bangladesh

Flood submerges vast areas of Bangladesh every year. To protect agricultural lands and city areas from submergence due to flood, earthen embankments are provided. However, earthen embankments in Bangladesh are subjected to seepage and erosion. To protect embankments from seepage and erosion-Cement Concrete Blocks (CC Blocks) are usually provided. Provision of CC Blocks reduce erosion but cannot prevent seepage completely, which is one of the main causes of failure of earthen embankments in Bangladesh. In this study, five sections of Rajshahi City Protection Embankment (RCPE) are selected which are subjected to seepage and erosion during rainy seasons because they are not properly protected. Seepage analysis using Geo-Studio Software indicates that seepage through RCPE can be prevented completely, if the upstream surface of the embankment is protected by CC Blocks with joints between CC Blocks that are sealed properly.

Organizational Commitment: Do Employees’ Compensations and Benefits Matter?

The main objective of this research is to identify Bangladesh Railway employee's commitment based on compensation and benefits. A structured questionnaire was used to survey the opinions of 40 employees who are from Bangladesh Railway, Rajshahi City. The researchers conducted various statistical analyses such as descriptive statistics, correlation and multiple regression analysis to analyze the survey responses and identified a number of key findings. The study reveals that there are various common factors related to the compensations and benefits that affect employee's commitment.

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Obesity and Hypertension Among University Students in Rajshahi City, Bangladesh

Obesity has become a new challenge for health care providers in the world, which leads to reduced life expectancy or increased health problems. The aim of the present study was to assess the prevalence and risk factors of obesity and hypertension among the undergraduate and postgraduate students in Rajshahi city. About 675 students were interviewed by standard questionnaires with their verbal consents. In this study, we found that a major portion of the population (13.93% which is about 94 students out of 675) were overweight and 61 students (9.04%) were obese at different stages on the basis of Body Mass Index (BMI) values where 75.41% and 31.15% were male and female students, respectively. About 31.15% of the obese students came from families with monthly income of 31000-40000 taka and 29.50% obese students have at least one obese parent. We also observed that about 32 students (52.46%) out of 61 obese students were pre-hypertensive and 34.43% obese students were stage I hypertensive patient. In this study, we found that the most common risk factors of obesity and hypertension among university students were sedentary life style, physical activity less than 30 min/day, smoking, frequent intake of soft drinks, fast food and food rich in fats (Junk food). This may be the first health survey conducted regarding obesity and hypertension among these university students in Bangladesh, which might be helpful for health workers to raise awareness among the mass people.Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Journal 19(2): 179-184, 2016

The value of transportation accessibility in a least developed country city – The case of Rajshahi City, Bangladesh

Little appears to be known about the capitalization of transportation accessibility in South Asian housing markets, which typically differ from those of industrialized countries. This study starts addressing this gap by providing empirical evidence about the nature and the magnitude of the value of accessibility as reflected by residential rents in Rajshahi City, Bangladesh. Results of our SARAR spatial hedonic model estimated on 526 observations from a random sample collected via in-person interviews indicate that the rent of a multi-unit dwelling decreases by 0.0239% for every 1% increase in network access distance to the nearest major road. Moreover, proximity (within 400m) to a primary school and to a healthcare facility commands rent premiums of respectively 93.55BDT ($1.40) and 109.45BDT ($1.64). Surprisingly, whether access roads are paved or not does not statistically impact rents, probably because of the dominance of walking, rickshaws use, and biking, combined with the rarity of personal cars. Likewise, proximity to bus stops and to train stations is not reflected in rents of multi-family dwellings, likely because buses and trains in Rajshahi City only provide regional and national service. Differences in estimates of our spatial models between maximum likelihood (ML) and generalized spatial two-stage-least-squares illustrate the danger of relying on ML in the presence of heteroskedasticity. These results should be useful for planning transportation infrastructure funding measures in least developed country cities like Rajshahi City.

English

English

Job Satisfaction and Job Stress among Bank Employees in Rajshahi City: A Field Study

The study focuses on exploring the job satisfaction and job stress of bank employees. The sample of the study comprised of respondents selected purposively. Job Satisfaction Scale (Abdul Khaleque, 1995) and Occupation Stress Index (Md. Abdul Latif and Sabina Sultana) were used for data collection. Results revealed that two-third of the participants are satisfied with their jobs and almost one-third of the bank employees have low job stress. The result also revealed that there is no significant correlation between job stress and job satisfaction.

Prevalence and Nature of Self-Medication of Drugs Among Pregnant Women in Rajshahi City, Bangladesh

The phenomenon of self-medication is a significant problem in a developing country due to easy availability of drugs. It is important in pregnancy as these agents may be teratogenic; pregnant women may be exposed to drugs that have serious harmful effects on their fetus. The present study was conducted to determine the prevalence and nature of self-medication in pregnant women in Rajshahi city, Bangladesh. The study was carried out using a self-designed standard structured questionnaire following WHO guidelines from January 2015 to April 2015. In this study, 650 pregnant women were considered as randomly selected sample from women attending for maternity care from one public hospital and five private clinics in Rajshahi City. 79 (12.2%) women use self-medication. The conditions which prompted women to obtain self-medication of drugs were gastric acidity (32.9%), infection (24.1%), cold & fever (21.5%), pain (12.7%), vomiting (8.9%) and disorders related to pregnancy (7.6%). The drugs most commonly used were antacids (27.8%) followed by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (26.6%), iron (15.2%), vitamins and minerals (12.7%), ayurvedic preparations (5.1%), antiemetic (5.1%) and antibiotics (3.8%) respectively. Most common reasons of self-medication were availability of drugs (42%), prior experience (20.8%), emergency usage (11.2%), knowledge about drugs (10.0%) and advice from traditional healers (8.0%). Moreover, 44.3% of women did not complete the course of antibiotics. Due to the adverse effects of self-medication, particularly during pregnancy, which can lead to teratogenicity or fetotoxicity, it is necessary to take some measures to preventing self-medication in pregnant women.

Status of Ambient Particulate Matter and Black Carbon Concentrations in Rajshahi Air, Bangladesh

Air borne particulate matter (PM) samples (both PM10 and PM2.5) were collected simultaneously from continuous air quality monitoring station (CAMS) at Rajshahi city from December 2012 to February 2013 using two Air Metrics MiniVol samplers. The samples were analyzed for mass and black carbon (BC) concentrations. The present results were compared with the data set during December 2001 to February 2002. It was found that the mean PM10, PM2.5 and BC concentrations have increased 3.3, 6.1 and 3.4 times, respectively than in December 2001 to February 2002 period. Similarly, the ratio of PM2.5/PM10 has increased twice than the previous cited time. In case of BC/PM2.5 ratio, value becomes more than half than the previous period. Hence, PM2.5 concentration has increased tremendously and due to the implementation of policies especially on motor vehicles, BC concentration does not increase linearly as PM2.5. The present data have showed that about 78% of PM10 is PM2.5 whereas in 2001-2002, PM2.5 was only 38% of PM10. The high PM2.5 at Rajshahi city might be due to both local effect and long-range transport.Journal of Bangladesh Academy of Sciences, Vol. 39, No. 2, 147-155, 2015

Phosphate Level in Some Selected Surface and Ground Water Bodies of Rajshahi City Corporation

Optimum PO4-P level in surface and ground water is essential for maintaining good health and environment. In this study, the PO4-P level was measured for 148 different water samples collected from ponds, supply tape and tube-well of 8 different areas of Rajshahi City Corporation. All the sites of surface water bodies crossed the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) criterion of 0.01-0.03 mg L-1 PO4–P to be free from eutrophication. Among the samples, 4.2% were within the range (0.025-0.1 mg L-1) of onset of eutrophication while 95.8% crossed the hyper-eutrophication level (> 0.10 mg L-1). However, most of the ground (83.1%) and tap (92.7%) water were excellent in quality for drinking with respect to PO4–P level (<1 mg L-1). Only 15.3% of ground water and 7.3% of tap water were good quality and a negligible amount (1.6%) of ground water was fair quality.J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 8(1): 129-133 2015

Delay in Diagnosis of Tuberculosis among Under Treatment Patients in Rajshahi City, Bangladesh

Introduction: Delay in diagnosis regarding Tuberculosis (TB) is common in developing country as well as in Bangladesh. Therefore, the aim of the study is to identify the factors which have effects on delay in diagnosis. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was carried out at Rajshahi City, Bangladesh. A total of 384 TB patients were took part in the interview presented in the study areas for seeking treatment. The samples were selected using stratified random sampling with simple random sampling techniques. Descriptive statistics, chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression methods in SPSS were employed in this analysis. Results: The results revealed that around 76.3% patients delay in diagnosis and among them 81.3% pulmonary patients were found delay. Patients’ sex, educational status, area of living, and monthly family income were significantly associated with delay in the diagnosis of TB, as obtained through Chisquare test. Multivariate logistic regression method identified sex, educational status, and monthly family income and first visit before diagnosis as risk factors of diagnostic delay. Conclusion: Massive health education needs to be included in the existing TB control programs to enhance the accessibility of patients in health-care service without delay in diagnosis.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/saarctb.v11i2.12435SAARC J TUBER LUNG DIS HIV/AIDS, 2014;XI(2), Page: 21-28

Status and economics of fish markets in Rajshahi City Corporation of Rajshahi, Bangladesh

. A wide variety of indigenous and exotic fish including carps, catfish and innumerable smaller fishes are available. The contribution of the sector to GDP, foreign exchange earnings and employment is also significant. It accounts for 4.39 percent of GDP and 2.46 percent of export earnings of the country. Fish market is a place where people gather to buy or sell fishes. Fish marketing system can also be defined as the way through which fishes reach in consumers from producers. The consumers ultimately are to depend on an effective fish marketing system through which fishes will be available to them. High rate of population growth resulted in growing gap between supply and demand of fish and fisheries product of Bangladesh. Government of Bangladesh as well as many local and international Non Government Organizations (

Bank Selection Influencing Factors: A Study on Customer Preferences with Reference to Rajshahi City

Bank Selection Influencing Factors: A Study on Customer Preferences with Reference to Rajshahi City

Present Condition of Road Traffic Accident: A Case Study of Rajshahi City, Bangladesh

Road accident is an incisive problem in highway transportation system which directly sentenced to death, injury and property damage. Rajshahi is one of the most crucial cities in Bangladesh where road accident frequently occurs. Many people die and seriously injured every year in Rajshahi city due to accident. The statistical data of road accident of Rajshahi city is presented in this paper. Data of accidents for three years (2011, 2012 & 2013) were collected from four Police Stations which are situated in Rajshahi city. It is observed that, 51 accidents occur in this time span. It has been found that six intersections and four mid-blocks are the most hazardous, where the rate of accident frequency is high. These intersections and mid-blocks were located by GPS technology and finally a map is drawn by GIS to indicate these locations. The analysis shows that 41.67% victims were between ages 20 to 35 years old. The vehicles are mostly responsible for accidents that are trucks (26%) and buses (23%). Truck accidents caused in city road accidents contribute 32.56% of total deaths while other vehicles such as Bus 23.26%, Private Car 4.65%, Auto Rickshaw 9.30%, Bike 11.63%, Vutvuti 11.63%, Rickshaw/Van 2.33%, Emma 2.33% and Micro bus 2.33% of total fatalities.

Integrated Approach to Wastewater Use in Agriculture: A Pilot Study in Rajshahi City Corporation Area

Demand for water is increasing in the world parallel to increase in population and industrialization. In many developing countries, wastewater is the only source of water for irrigation during dry periods. Besides, wastewater is high in nutrient content which reduces the use of chemical fertilizers for crop cultivation. After a certain period, it will be unable to irrigate with ground water because of its limited quantities and contamination. To overcome this difficulties waste water may be a suitable source to meet the irrigation demand if properly managed and utilized in convenient way. In this study, wastewater samples were collected from four places of Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) for determining water quality parameters. Analysis of these impurities were performed with strict quality control and quality assurance using the internationally accepted analytical chemical methods for the determination of their harmful effects on crops and found that most of the parameters exceed the permissible limits. The major problem in using wastewater in agriculture in the project area is the high level of faecal contamination. Thus, efforts are geared toward finding ways of utilizing the previously unused sources of water and/or recycling wastewater.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jesnr.v6i1.22061 J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 6(1): 167-171 2013

Medical Waste Management: A Case Study on Rajshahi City Corporation in Bangladesh

The management of medical waste (MW) is of great importance due to its impact on human health and environment. The present practices of improper management of generated medical wastes in different Healthcare Establishment (HCEs) in Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) is playing a contributing role to create vulnerable condition in spreading out the Diarrhea, Hepatitis and various skin related diseases. The objectives of the study are to identify different types of wastes, its generation rate and assess the existing waste management in various HCEs. The study was carried out in 14 different HCEs that generated much portion of MW of total generated MW in RCC. The methodology of this project was descriptive and consisted of the use of field survey and interviews with the relevant authorities and personnel involved in the management of MW. It was found that the surveyed HCEs generate a total of 1495 kg/day of MW; of which about 1328.6 kg/day (88.87%) are non-infectious and about 166.4 kg/day (11.13%) are infectious. The average waste generation rate for surveyed HCEs is 1.54 kg/bed/day or 0.30 kg/patient/day. It was found from the survey that there is no proper and systematic management of medical wastes. The study reveals that lack of awareness; financial support and willingness are responsible for improper management of MW. So the RCC and HCEs authorities should adopt appropriate policy regarding this issue and provide training program on relevant personnel who are engaged in medical waste management.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jesnr.v6i1.22062 J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 6(1): 173-178 2013

Socio-demographic factors affecting knowledge level of Tuberculosis patients in Rajshahi City, Bangladesh.

The Tuberculosis (TB) control program in Bangladesh is still unsatisfactory due to insufficient knowledge and stigma about TB. Patients with low knowledge may be at higher risk of experiencing delays in diagnosis and appropriate treatment. The aims of this study were to identify the knowledge levels of TB and investigate the factors associated with knowledge level among the TB patients in Bangladesh. A cross-sectional study was conducted at Rajshahi City, Bangladesh. A total of 384 TB patients were interviewed through a pretested, structured questionnaire using purposive sampling techniques. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the effects of selected socio-demographic factors on TB knowledge level. The results revealed that pulmonary TB patients had greater knowledge than that of extra-pulmonary patients, and that sex, age, educational status and TB type were significantly associated with knowledge level. In general, males and young adults, ages 21-35, had greater awareness about transmission and prevention of TB than females and adults over 35. Individuals with higher education and urban area patients were comparatively better informed about TB infection. Patients with greater knowledge about TB were also less likely to experience delays in seeking treatment.

Status of Female Adolescents Living at Rajshahi Slum in Bangladesh

Objective: To avoid the social consequences of unplanned pregnancy, transmission of STIs and HIV/AIDS, adolescents need to be awaked of their reproductive health. That is why; the study is aimed to know the present status of adolescents in terms of socio-demographic and menstrual management status living in slum areas of Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC), Bangladesh. Materials and methods: The data for this study were collected purposively in 2012 from 200 girls aged 10-19 who were slum living at RCC using a pre-designed questionnaire. The purpose and importance of this study were explained to the respondents before participating in this study. Results and discussion: The result showed that 64% of the respondents were in the group of 18-19 years. Around 9.5% of the adolescents had never gone to school. The maintenance of hygiene during menstruation is a vital aspect of adolescent reproductive health. But the result showed that about 94% of the respondents answered that they do not know the underlying reasons for what menstruation occurred. Only 5% of the respondents maintained some form of hygiene measurements (pad or clean cloth) during the onset of their menstruation. The result also indicated that 24.5% of the respondents felt physical illnesses during their menstruation. Conclusion: The authority should commit to ensuring that the needs, challenges, aspirations, vulnerabilities and rights of adolescents, especially for girls, are fully considered in this new development agenda. Keeping this in mind, adolescent friendly health services should be ensured by arranging special hours or special days for them, orienting and providing training to healthcare providers on how to counsel adolescents.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjms.v14i1.Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science Vol.14(1) 2015 p.