A gross misuse of special provision
Jahangir Hossain, a local resident of Alakdia village in Chattogram’s Sitakunda upazila, used to cultivate various types of crops on half an acre of land adjacent to the coastline. However, his land remains uncultivable for the last five years due to the saline water entering the land.
1w ago
A ray of hope for Rohingya women
A small factory in Cox’s Bazar, situated in camp number 5, is employing 150 Rohingya women, to produce eco-friendly jute bags.
2w ago
Of grief and resilience
The explosion at Sheema oxygen Plant in Chattogram’s Sitakunda upazila has left the families of the victims grief-stricken and in deep shock. At the Chattogram Medical College and Hospital, where many of the injured were taken for treatment, the atmosphere is somber as family members wait anxiously for news of their loved ones.
3w ago
Sitakunda Blast: 'life engulfed by uncertainty'
Selim Richil was the only earning member of his four-member family. Hailing from Netrakona, Selim worked at the filling section of Seema Oxygen Plant in Sitakunda, Chattogram.
3w ago
6 killed as blast rips thru oxygen plant
Six people were killed and at least 30 others injured in an explosion at an industrial oxygen plant in Sitakunda, Chattogram, yesterday afternoon.
3w ago
A km away, yet a victim of the blast
Sixty-year-old Shamsul Alam was at a firewood shop in Kadamarsul Bazar near his home in Sitakunda, Chattogram.
4w ago
‘Everything went dark, I felt like I was in a vacuum'
"I still cannot believe that I am alive. I no longer want to continue my job at the oxygen plant. I want to go to my village home," said survivor Ripon
4w ago
Metal object from Sitakunda blast kills man nearly 1km away
A man was killed after a metal object from the explosion at an oxygen plant hit him nearly a kilometre away at Kadamrusul Bazar in Chattogram's Sitakunda upazila today
4w ago
Where will I go now?
Asks Rashida, wife of Farid who died in an explosion at an oxygen plant in Sitakunda this afternoon.
4w ago
Hills razed for industry
The authorities of Build-Aid Readymix Concrete Limited have ravaged several hills in Chattogram to build a factory, that too without getting permission from the environment ministry. Suffice to say, this may lead to serious environmental harm.
Project to buy tourist coaches stuck in row over feasibility study
The much-awaited project to buy tourist coaches taken up four years ago for under construction Dhaka-Cox’s Bazar rail route is still in limbo, as the project is stuck in a row over a feasibility study.
Destroying hills for a dumping station
When a garbage dumping station is comes at the expense of destroying hills and jeopardising the environment, the act becomes highly contentious.
Occupying forestland by building a wall
RF Builders, a real-estate firm appointed by a group called Prabartak Sangha, is constructing a boundary wall in a disputed land in Prabartak area under Panchalaish of Chattogram, despite a stay order issued by the High Court.
Once a forest, now salt fields
Thirty-five hectares of mangrove forest in Eastern Char Dhurung village under Cox’s Bazar’s Kutubdia upazila have been turned into salt fields. Thousands of trees were felled in the process, at a cost of the area’s biodiversity and environmental balance.
A new hope for Dhaka-Ctg route passengers
After seven years, Bangladesh Railways is planning to launch a new intercity train on the Dhaka-Chattogram route, aiming to provide a quick and hassle-free journey to passengers on this busy route.
Killing a canal to save a river!
The 1.5-kilometre-long Mariamnagar canal in Rangunia upazila is a hub for bamboo trade. Besides, locals use this canal -- which originates from the Karnaphuli river -- for household chores and farmers use it for irrigation.
Scrap vessel imports fall to four-year low
Scrap vessel imports by Bangladesh hit a four-year low in 2022 as banks in the country have become reluctant to open letters of credit amid the ongoing US dollar shortage, according to industry people.
The misfortune of Ichamati
Seventy-year-old Akbar Ali was born on the bank of the Ichamati. In his childhood, many boats used to ply the river, while fishers could also make a living out of it.
Reserve forest defiled, defying court order
A tea company is digging a lake in the middle of a reserve forest in Fatikchhari, Chattogram, in what environmentalists say is a crime that’s causing irreparable damage to the environment.
Project to save the Karnaphuli stuck in red tape
Bangladesh Water Development Board’s project to save the Karnaphuli has been in limbo as the water resources ministry is yet to review the estimated cost in line with the government’s cost containment policy.
An effort to meet housing demand
Chattogram Development Authority (CDA) will implement a new housing project in the port city to fulfil the rising demand for homes amid a rapidly expanding urban population.
Sitakunda coast: a hub of illegal sand lifting
With almost no obstructions, influential people are illegally lifting sand from the seabed along Chattogram’s Sitakunda coast, increasing the risk of coastline erosion, endangering surrounding croplands and depleting soil fertility of the area.
Ferry service between Boalkhali and port city on the cards
The Roads and Highway Department is planning to start a ferry service through the Karnaphuli river between Boalkhali and the port city, making communication between the southern Chattogram and port city smoother.
Date palm trees on the decline in Chattogram
The number of date palm trees fell to 2,270 from 3,719 in Chattogram’s coastal areas in the last 10 years -- a decline of 39 percent, according to data obtained from the forest department.
CDA to build tourist zone at Karnaphuli bank
The Chattogram Development Authority (CDA) is going to set up a tourist zone in a 5km area of Karnaphuli riverbank in the Bakalia area of the port city, with an aim to develop Chattogram as a tourist city.
21,000 smart driving licences uncollected
Around 21,000 smart driving licences are lying at the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority’s (BRTA) Chattogram office, as the clients have not collected them, claimed officials.
A ray of hope for wildlife
The coastal forest department of Chattogram has proposed to establish a special biodiversity area on 6,507 acres of forest land at Sitakunda’s Guliakhali area to save hundreds of species of wildlife and birds.
Waste treatment plant still a long way off
The government enacted the Bangladesh Ship Recycling Act in 2018 and asked the authorities concerned to build a Treatment Storage and Disposal Facility (TSDF) within 3 years for the safe disposal of hazardous waste.
Work delaying on land acquisition hitch
The elevated expressway project in Chattogram is being delayed as Bangladesh Railway has not yet allotted the required land for the project, resulting in city dwellers suffering.
Railway pond turns into a dumping zone
A pond near the Jan Ali Hat Railway Station in the port city’s Chandgaon area has been turned into a dumping zone. Consequently, it has also become a safe breeding zone for mosquitoes.
As if rules don’t apply to him
The newly-elected Chattogram zilla parishad chairman has set up a brick-making factory right beside a protected forest in the district’s Fatikchhari upazila. The factory is operating without any clearance from the Department of Environment (DoE).
A promise undelivered
One of the main housing projects undertaken by the Chattogram Development Authority (CDA) in 2017 was the Ananya Residential Area (Second Phase) project.
Once a canal, now a narrow stream only
Due to illegal grabbing and inaction of the concerned authorities, Jolkodor canal in Chattogram’s Banskhali upazila has reduced to be a 30 feet wide stream from its previous width of 150 feet.
The main attraction remains shut off
The cable car service in Sheikh Russel Aviary and Eco Park in the port city’s Rangunia upazila has remained closed since September 2021. The authorities have been working to restart its operations but no progress has been made to that effect in the last year.
Land arable, but uncultivated
Despite the government’s priority programme to make the best use of every inch of available cultivable land, more than 15 thousand hectares of arable land in Chattogram remain uncultivated.
Grabbers eye forestland
Land grabbers, including those belonging to the influential quarters, are hatching a conspiracy to occupy three acres of land in Chattogram’s Nasirabad Social Forestry Nursery and Training Centre (SFNTC), alleged forest officials.
First-ever ferry service on the cards
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) plans to start the first ever ferry service between Sandwip island and Sitakunda in Chattogram.
RHD eyes 174 acres of reserve forest
The Roads and Highways Department is seeking 174 acres to widen a road through the Ramgarh-Sitakunda Reserve Forest in Chattogram amid concerns of damage to the environment and violation of rules.
Access road to be finally accessible
The long-awaited Bakalia access road, built to ease traffic and improve connectivity with south Chattogram from port city, will be opened for vehicular movements soon, said project officials.
Hill razed for road
A group of individuals has reportedly cut a hill by Chattogram city’s Sarson Road to build a road, without getting approval from the Department of Environment (DoE), much to the dismay of locals and environmentalists.
A forest faces further forays
The Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) has taken an initiative to build a 5km road through the Ramu reserve forest, a move that forest officials and environmentalists say will bring disaster.
Tackling river erosion with trees
To tackle erosion, the Forest Department has planted 29,000 trees on a stretch of Chattogram’s Halda riverbank -- which had been grabbed by locals -- bringing a welcome change for the region’s biodiversity.
Fighting again to restore democracy
Alleging that the Awami League government has turned the country into a crematorium, the BNP has said there is no alternative to ending its rule.
Pollution killing Karnaphuli plants
As many as 81 species of plants on Karnaphuli riverbanks are in danger of going extinct over the next few decades due to the dumping of industrial wastes and other forms of pollution.
Good news for Ctg commuters
Train services between Chattogram and Dohazari will resume next month amid widespread demands of commuters following two years of Covid induced closure.
Passing days in fear
Only two years after its reconstruction, the Ghoramora embankment in Sitakunda’s Sonaichhari Union collapsed. Now, over 25,000 people in five villages are passing their days amid fear.
Hope for hills
After so many years, the Department of Environment (DoE) has finally taken an initiative to conduct a specialised survey with an aim to protect Chattogram’s hills.
Plastic waste a prevailing threat to port city
A new study found that Chattogram city produces 3,000 tonnes of waste every day, of which, 249-tonne is plastic waste.
September 14, 2022
Tk 2,675cr road turns into truck stand
Built at a cost of around Tk 2,675 crore, when the under-construction, 15.2-kilometre Chattogram City Outer Ring Road opened for vehicular movement in 2021, city dwellers and experts believed it would be a blessing for mitigating traffic congestion.
September 7, 2022
CDA plans to collect toll from Bayezid link road
Chattogram Development Authority (CDA) plans to bring Bayezid-Faujdarhat Link Road under toll system to raise funds for developing and maintaining the six-kilometre road.
September 1, 2022
Poor rainfall hampers Aman cultivation in Ctg
Due to minimal rainfall, cultivation of Aman paddy in Chattogram has witnessed a setback.
August 31, 2022
Passengers suffer as trains remain inoperative
Sixteen trains on different routes of the Bangladesh Railway (BR) eastern zone have remained closed over the last decade due to multiple crises, mainly a shortage of coaches.
August 29, 2022
Mirsarai forest land: 2 lakh saplings destroyed
Around two lakh saplings of forest land planted by the forest department have been destroyed by locals’ buffalo herds in the sea-coast pastures adjacent to the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar at Chattogram’s Mirsarai upazila in the past week.
August 24, 2022
Port city finally getting central sewerage system
Work for Package-1 of Sewerage Treatment Plant (STP) of Chattogram Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (CWasa) has started with an aim to create a pollution-free city for residents.
August 18, 2022
Mirsarai tragedy: Probe body finds gateman, driver responsible
Both the rail crossing gateman and the microbus driver are responsible for the train-microbus collision at the Mirsarai Borotakia rail crossing that killed 13 people, a probe committee has found.
August 17, 2022
A welcome respite from urban cacophony
It is indeed a fiesta of foliage and plant. A riot of colours; colours of flowers and fruits -- that come in all shades and hues.
August 17, 2022
Patenga a beach encroached
Illegal structures are springing up along the port city’s Patenga sea beach ignoring the directive of Chattogram Development Authority (CDA).
August 14, 2022
Ctg-Sylhet route: No new train in 20 years
Although the demand for railway tickets on the Chattogram-Sylhet route has been increasing every year, the authorities of Bangladesh Railway could not add a single passenger train to the route in the last two decades.
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