Ferdous Steel Ship Recycling Industries was cutting the scrap vessel, MT Rasi, without a valid environmental clearance at its Sitakunda yard in Chattogram, where nine workers died from toxic gas inhalation inside the vessel on August 14.

Md Ziaul Haque, the director of Air Quality Management at the Department of Environment, talks with Naznin Tithi of The Daily Star about the factors behind severe air pollution in the country and why concerted efforts are needed from all ministries and government agencies concerned to fight it.

A high-powered national committee, formed to tackle oil or chemical spills along the shipping routes, has failed miserably to respond to the recent oil spill in the Meghna.

Intermittent showers over the last few days have given the city residents a respite from dust pollution.