Illegal brick kilns have invaded Ghumai Beel in Chattogram, Bangladesh’s second-largest wetland and one of the key granaries in the district. Fertile topsoil from paddy fields is being stripped for brick-making, while industrial waste dumped into the beel is eroding the land’s productivity. Although the law prohibits kilns near farmland and water bodies, the practice persists. PHOTO: RAJIB RAIHAN

HAZARD ALERT… Eight months after this footbridge near Kuril was demolished for the Dhaka Elevated Expressway, exposed iron rods still poke out of the ground dangerously close to the airport road, making the area unsafe for pedestrians and vehicles alike. Photo: Rashed Shumon

Street vendors occupy not only the footpath but also a major portion of this road in the capital’s Jatrabari, setting up numerous stalls that force pedestrians onto the street and disrupt vehicular movement. The photo was taken yesterday. Photo: Palash Khan