Speakers at a round table, on Saturday, urged the government to formulate a guideline for mobile phone companies of the country, to run their operations ensuring health and safety aspects. They also stressed on the need for introducing new technologies for the safe operation of mobile phones, using satellites instead of towers, for the transmission of mobile communication data. Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (BAPA) had organised the round table on the harmful effect of mobile phones and mobile towers on public health, at Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU). Dr Monirul Alam presented the keynote paper, while columnist Syed Abul Maksud attended the programme as the chief guest. Vice-president of BAPA and the vice-chancellor of Stamford University, Prof. M Firoze Ahmed, presided over the round table. “The towers of mobile phone companies cause radiation that has lethal effects on human body. These are also detrimental to the environment and ecology,” he said.
“More research is needed to find ways to safeguard public health from the destructive effects of radiation. Until then, we have to be careful about the use of mobile phones, and the towers should be relocated to the safer places, away from densely populated areas,” he said. Mobile phone operating companies also should try to invent new technologies to reduce the volume of radiation to a tolerable level, Alam noted.
Highlighting the harmful effects of electromagnetic radiation from mobile phone towers and handsets, he said it was not easily visible, but works like slow poison.
“Radiation emitted from the mobile phone antennas causes various diseases, including hypertension, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, cardiac failure, and insomnia. So fatal is its effect that unborn children can also suffer from radiation sickness,” he said.
The government should take steps to make mandatory the use of satellites, instead of towers, for the expansion of mobile phone network in the country, Firoze Ahmed observed.
“We have to invent new technologies for the safe use of mobile phones, and reduce its harmful effect,” he said, adding, “Researchers should pay more attention to that.”
Syed Abul Maksud put emphasis on the need for a high-powered committee to be formed with physicists and physicians, to define the damaging effect of mobile phone towers on flora and fauna.
Regarding the indiscriminate use of mobile phones and installation of towers in public places, Dr Lenin Chowdhury said these have emerged as a serious threat to public health.
“We are not against the use of mobile phone. But, we want safer technologies to protect people’s health,” he said.
The government should adopt a policy regarding the use and import of mobile parts, Chowdhury said, adding that it should be made mandatory to assess the level of radiation during the import of mobile phone sets and related instruments.
-With The Independent input
