News in Bangladesh

Despite poverty and high illiteracy some 25 major dailies circulate in Bangladesh and they are full-sized broadsheets.

The front page of the Daily Star had 15 stories on it today. One was the 7th part of an investigative project on vanishing forests that quoted unnamed sources and one was about conjoined twins, making this for me, an interesting newspaper. Not a single story in that fat newspaper was about either famine or flooding, the only two stories I can ever remember reading about Bangladesh (no three; there was that rock concert in the 70s.)

About those twins: Bonya and Barsha were separated at 4 months from a link at the liver, intestines, gallbladders, chest and abdomen. They were doing OK, but if the girls survive it will be a milestone "in the medical history of Bangladesh," said one doctor. Survival of conjoined twins here is rare because of lack of intensive care and outdated surgical facilities. Frequently these children are born in remote areas to people too poor to get them to help.

In this case, the parents, a nurse and a teacher, have gotten help from organizations and individual donors. They need a lot more money, though.

Contributions can be sent to Golam Kibria Sarkar, Account No. 18240/16, Sonali Bank, Gobindaganj Branch, Gaibandha. Kibria.