Mohammad Abbas Uddin

Background: Color vision deficiency (CVD) is a common inherited visual disorder that can interfere with academic tasks and daily activities that rely on accurate color discrimination. Despite its potential educational and occupational implications, data on CVD prevalence and functional impact among university students in Bangladesh remain limited. Aim: This study was aimed at determining the prevalence of CVD among university students in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and describing patterns of learning‐related and daily‐life difficulties among affected students. Methodology: A cross‐sectional study was conducted among 1207 students from two universities in Dhaka. Color vision was assessed using the Ishihara pseudoisochromatic plates under standardized lighting conditions to identify red–green CVD. Students diagnosed with CVD completed a structured questionnaire evaluating difficulties in academic tasks, digital media use, and daily activities. Descriptive statistics were used to estimate prevalence, while factor analysis was applied to examine patterns of difficulties associated with impaired color perception. Results: Overall, 33 students (2.7%) were identified with CVD. All affected participants were male, corresponding to a prevalence of 3.4% among male students, while no cases were observed among females. Students with CVD reported notable difficulties in educational activities involving color‐coded learning materials, multimedia content, and object recognition in daily life. These findings highlight reported patterns of challenges in both learning‐related and practical tasks. Conclusion: CVD affects a notable proportion of male university students in Bangladesh and is associated with meaningful academic and daily‐life challenges. Early screening and increased awareness may help reduce these difficulties and support informed academic and career‐related decision‐making.

The preconsumer textile waste in the manufacturing country dominates the circularity in the textile and apparel industries. Bangladesh, the world's second largest exporter of apparel, produces a tremendous amount of preconsumer waste while manufacturing yarn, fabric, dyed fabric, and apparel in the whole textile production chain. The sheer number of workers, traders, local manufacturers, exporters, and other formal and informal channels makes this waste management sector important. In addition, the value addition of this waste in the local and export markets is increasingly significant. This study aims to determine and fill the knowledge gap on current circularity practices of nonhazardous textile solid waste in Bangladesh, drawing experience from an end‐market for textile solid waste. One distinct textile waste cluster, Mirpur, was selected. Based on field surveys and interviews, it is found that approximately 76% of textile solid waste is reused, 11% is used for making recycled yarn, and another 11% is used as fuel for boilers and geotextile for road construction activities, and 2% is wasted as fabric dust. The cost of selling textile solid waste ranges from USD 0.1 to USD 0.95, depending on the type of waste. Overall, the Mirpur cluster processes around 600–800 tons of textile solid waste per month and employs around 800–1000 staff, of whom 95% are women. It shows an informal circular textile waste economy where nothing is wasted, and everything is utilized, creating new markets, products, businesses, and employment. However, such practices lack regulatory oversight and monitoring, which could be transformed into a formally functioning circular economy.

This study explores the practical application of material circularity in Bangladesh’s textile and apparel industry, focusing on pre-consumer textile solid waste management. While much of the existing literature discusses circular economy (CE) models theoretically, this research presents an actual case where a material circularity is implemented. Through a detailed examination of market clusters dealing with the resale, reuse, recycling, and the waste material matrix, the study uncovers the complexities of sorting, processing, and repurposing textile solid waste. Despite challenges like inconsistent sorting practices, informal market operations, and limited recycling infrastructure, the findings highlight significant scopes for material circularity. The study emphasizes the need for standardized regulations and targeted interventions to scale up circular practices. By showcasing real-world examples of material circularity, this research contributes to the development of a systematic, policy-driven approach to sustainable waste management in the textile industry, moving beyond theoretical discussions to practical, actionable insights.

Smartphones are an essential part of our everyday life. Most students are mostly dependent on Smartphone for various reasons. Smartphone usage has both positive and negative effects. Excessive use of Smartphone negatively affects students’ careers as well as their daily lives, including physical and mental health. The main objective of this study was to investigate smartphone addiction among nursing and midwifery students in Bangladesh. This was a descriptive survey study. The participants were 752 (565 nursing and 187 midwifery) students. They were asked about various aspects of smartphone usage. The instrument was Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS) for Bangladeshi Students. It was a self-reporting questionnaire. Demographic information and responses of students regarding smartphone usage were analyzed through descriptive statistics. The age of the participants ranged from 18 to 30 years, with a mean age of 21.68 years. Out of them, 134 were males and 618 were females. The survey study found that nursing and midwifery students were moderately (M=29.97, SD=14.29) addicted to smartphones. Further investigation revealed that smartphone addiction had a negative impact on students’ academic performance (73.1%), daily activities (62.9%), eye pain (64.1%), and headache (59.8%), which is a real concern. The findings of this study provide alarming evidence for students, parents, and relevant authorities. These findings may provide substantial support for expanding awareness and developing preventive strategies such as psychotherapy, game, and multicomponent involvements to reduce smartphone addiction among nursing and midwifery students.

Saccharum spontaneum is a grass-type plant abundantly found in the Indian subcontinent, known for its beautiful, lustrous white flowers. Fibres were extracted from the flower and analyzed for their physical, mechanical, and chemical properties. The chemical composition of the fibre is 90.9% holocellulose, with a moisture content of 10.97%, and an average fibre length of 25 mm. FTIR spectra confirmed the presence of functional groups similar to those found in other natural cellulosic fibres. Additionally, the fibre exhibits a tensile strength of approximately 63 cN/tex, which is significantly higher than that of cotton and jute fibres. However, its crystallinity is relatively high at about 75%, resulting in a low elongation at break of 1.9%. FESEM analysis revealed a hollow structure in the fibre, indicating its potential suitability for applications requiring high thermal insulation, excellent moisture management, vapor permeability, and microbial fuel cell development.