Sifayet Ullah

Stuck in red, shipbreaking slow to turn green

Bangladesh began the green transition in 2017, when PHP Ship Recycling Yard became the first entity in the country to receive international green certification.

1w ago

Traditional yards keep hurting workers

Traditional shipbreaking yards in Sitakunda continue to operate in unsafe conditions, causing serious concerns about both worker safety and hazardous waste management.

1w ago

Toxic smoke damages crops in Chattogram

Hundreds of farmers in Chattogram’s Fatikchhari and Hathazari upazilas are facing losses due to toxic smoke from nearby brick kilns, which has been damaging their crops.

2w ago

Farmers in crisis as tea estate diverts canal's course

The Halda Valley Tea Estate is currently extracting water at three separate points using heavy pumps -- an act that violates the Water Act 2013 and is punishable under the law

1m ago

Decades of delicacy

The process of making semai (vermicelli) begins with mixing flour and hot water, then shaping the dough into thin strands through a round die, which are placed in bamboo baskets. After drying in the sun, the semai is roasted in a furnace, turning a rich reddish colour, and is then ready for sale.

1m ago

River resource centre lying idle for over 2 years

The country’s first river-based Halda Resource Centre has remained dormant for the past two and a half years since its inauguration, due to a shortage of necessary equipment and inadequate workforce.

1m ago

Salt, sweat and survival: Where is the farmers’ labour in the price?

There is an old tale, passed down through generations, about a king and his youngest daughter.

1m ago

Locomotive crisis cuts special train number

The number of special trains for Eid journey, operating from Chattogram to different destinations across the country, has been significantly reduced due to an acute shortage of locomotives (engines).

1m ago
March 6, 2025
March 6, 2025

Residents struggle amid salinity surge

Residents in various areas of the port city of Chattogram are grappling with an acute water crisis as supplies from the Chattogram Water and Sewerage Authority (CWasa) have significantly diminished.

March 5, 2025
March 5, 2025

Container transport by train falls amid engine crisis

The transportation of containerised goods via freight trains across the country declined by more than 9 percent year-on-year in the fiscal year 2023-24 due to a shortage of locomotives and railway staff.

March 3, 2025
March 3, 2025

Our gentle giants in peril

Over the past decade, nearly half of the country’s wild elephant population has been wiped out.

March 1, 2025
March 1, 2025

Govt agency razes hill to repair road

The Hill Agricultural Research Station in Khagrachhari has allegedly razed part of a hill in Sadar upazila without obtaining permission from the Department of Environment (DoE).

February 20, 2025
February 20, 2025

Suffering mounts as water supply remains disrupted

Water supply has been disrupted for over 10,000 consumers in Chattogram city for the second consecutive day following damage to a major pipeline during construction work for a waterlogging mitigation project.

February 19, 2025
February 19, 2025

Suffering mounts as water supply remains disrupted

The damaged pipeline, which extends over 25km, is crucial for supplying water from Wasa's Karnaphuli Water Treatment Plant

February 17, 2025
February 17, 2025

First export of taro bulbs from Khagrachhari to France

Taro bulbs (Colocasia esculenta) cultivated in Khagrachhari is being exported to France for the first time.

February 13, 2025
February 13, 2025

Staff shortage forces 54 station closures

Abu Taleb, 48, a schoolteacher from Chattogram’s Hathazari upazila, used to commute to and from his workplace in the port city by train. However, for the past five years, he has been compelled to travel by bus after the rail station near his residence was closed down.

February 10, 2025
February 10, 2025

BIWTA locks horns with Ctg shipbreakers over clearance

Despite repeated notices from the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), shipbreakers in Chattogram continue to dismantle scrap ships and dredge sand without obtaining clearance, according to BIWTA officials.

February 9, 2025
February 9, 2025

BIWTA locks horns with shipbreakers over clearance to use foreshore

Despite repeated notices from Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), shipbreakers of the Chattogram are reportedly dismantling scrap ships and dredging sand without obtaining clearance, BIWTA authorities said