DT e-Paper 29 March 2017

24
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2017
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Going native with
telecom towers
• Ishtiaq Husain
A Malaysia-based telecommunications infrastructure
company has teamed up with engineers
of Bangladesh University of Engineering
and Technology to build the country’s first
cell phone tower made from bamboo.
Edotco Group (“edotco”), the world’s 14th
largest tower company, which is owned by
Axiata Group, the largest shareholder in Robi
Axiata, is behind the initiative.
BTRC Chairman Dr Shahjahan Mahmood
inaugurated the bamboo tower yesterday at a
programme in Dhaka’s Westin Hotel.
Edotco utilised bamboo in the construction
of a telecommunication tower, which was installed
on a rooftop in Uttara Model Town of
the city.
The BTRC Chairman said if the use of bamboo
tower turns out to be successful, incentives
would be offered for the home-grown
technology.
Edotco Bangladesh Co. Ltd. has developed
the bamboo tower in collaboration with Bangladesh
University of Engineering (Buet).
The research and development of the project,
led by Professor Dr Syed Ishtiaq Ahmad
of Buet’s Civil Engineering Department, focused
on the design and viability of bamboo
as an alternative material to traditional steel
structures in telecommunications.
“We are very pleased to see the installation
of the first bamboo telecoms tower in our country.
Bangladesh is a country with plenty of natural
resources, including bamboo, which is a
renewable material,” Professor Dr Syed Ishtiaq
Ahmad said while speaking at the inauguration.
“Feasibility studies showed that bamboo
is a good material choice for telecom towers
due to its properties. We thank Edotco for believing
in such an initiative that contributes to
nation-building and conservation of the environment,”
he added.
Studies indicate that untreated bamboo has
the ability to bear the weight of concrete while
possessing the rigidity and tensile strength to
support its own weight, making it a suitable
material for telecom structures.
It can withstand gusts of up to 210km/h,
with an expected lifespan of about 10 years.
A bamboo tower takes around 12 days to
construct, and consumes less energy to manufacture
compared to traditional steel towers.
The structure has a capacity to house up to 8
antennas at a time, enabling co-location. •
Five to die for killing
photojournalist Aftab Ahmed
• Md Sanaul Islam Tipu
COURTESY
A Dhaka court yesterday awarded five with
death sentence for killing Ekushey Padak winning
photojournalist Aftab Ahmed.
Judge Abdur Rahman Sarder of Dhaka Speedy
Trial Tribunal 4 pronounced the verdict after crossexamining
20 out of 25 prosecution witnesses.
The convicts are Humayun Kabir, Habib
Hawlader, Belal Hossain, Raju Munshi and Md
Rasel. However, Rasel and Raju have been absconding
ever since the case was filed.
The court also sentenced Sabuj Khan to
seven-year imprisonment and fined him
Tk10,000, in default of which, he will have to
serve one more year in jail.
According to the case, on December 25,
2013, the 80-year-old photojournalist was
killed at his Wapda road house in Rampura,
Dhaka. A case was filed with Rampura police
station accusing some unnamed people then.
On March 25, 2014, Sub-Inspector Md Ashik
Iqbal of RAB 3 submitted the charge sheet to
the Dhaka CMM court accusing the six people.
The court indicted them including Humayun
Kabir, driver of the slain photojournalist
on July 24 in 2014.
Aftab had a long and illustrious career
when he served as chief photographer for the
Bangla newspaper the Daily Ittefaq. •
A fire, originating from a kitchen burner, gutted 80 shanties at a slum in Chittagong’s Muradpur area
yesterday. Nine vehicles of four fire fighting units brought the fire under control. No casualties were
reported, as most slum residents were at work. Some children and older residents managed to escape
on time
RABIN CHOWDHURY
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