Payra port to see larger vessels from April
Payra port, the third seaport in Bangladesh, expects to see the arrival of larger ships from the first week of April, according to a statement from the shipping ministry issued yesterday.
1d ago
Larger ships to start arriving at Payra port from April
The port will open first terminal on first week of May
2d ago
Wooden trawler industry on the wane
The once vibrant wooden trawler industry in Bangladesh is losing its sheen as the use of these vessels has gradually declined over the years, according to manufacturers
5d ago
Mahipur fish landing station now operational
The Mahipur fish landing station in Kalapara upazila of Patuakhali has become operational with eight fishing trawlers anchoring at its pontoons since Saturday.
1w ago
Watermelon farmers getting good yields, prices
Watermelon farmers in southern Bangladesh are pleased to be getting bumper yields and prices early this season as their produce can now reach markets all over the country thanks to the improved connectivity provided by Padma Bridge.
1w ago
Padma Bridge: A boon for watermelon cultivators in Patuakhali
Visitors making their way to Patuakhali's Rangabali upazila are often greeted with the view of trucks loaded with freshly harvested watermelons. The recurring sight is a result of the recent boom in the cultivation and business of watermelons, catalysed by the inauguration of the Padma Bridge
1w ago
Wheat cultivation prospect in south brightens
Farmers in Patuakhali have successfully cultivated wheat through a method known as relay cropping, raising hopes that lands left fallow during the dry season can now be used for growing the cereal grain.
10-day BSCIC fair starts in Patuakhali
The BSCIC Entrepreneurial Fair and Buyer-Vendor Conference, jointly organised by the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Cooperation (BSCIC) and Patuakhali district administration, kicked off at the DC Office field in Patuakhali sadar upazila yesterday.
Stealing trees from reserve forest
Trees are being looted from reserve forest areas in Patuakhali, adjacent to the flood control embankment of Kalapara upazila.
Patuakhali’s Kalapara: Houses, fish enclosures at the expense of mangroves
Destroying mangrove forests, fish enclosures and residential houses are being constructed in Patuakhali’s Kalapara. Locals alleged that rather than protecting the forests, forest department is assisting a vested quarter to cut different species of trees including chaila, keora, bine and golgach.
Here, a woman rows the boat
Akhlima Begum’s day starts at the break of dawn. Upon completing her household chores, she readies her small boat, which ferries passengers to and from Patuakhali’s Doani village of Galachipa upazila and Meermadan village of Dasmina upazila throughout the day.
Saline land now a green landscape
Farmers of a remote coastal village in Barguna’s Taltali upazila have not only become solvent by producing seasonal vegetables but also turned the salty land into a green landscape.
More and more children drowning every year
On August 29, 2022, three-year-old Abdullah and 18-month-old Fahim, the two sons of Azizur Rahman, a municipal councillor of Patuakhali’s Bauphal upazila, drowned.
Road divider or death trap?
Roads and Highways Department (RHD) recently constructed a new six-lane road in Patuakhali’s Kalapara upazila, with a divider to prevent collisions among motorists. Ironically, the divider has apparently been serving the exact opposite purpose.
Barguna’s Rakhine weavers busy making winter clothes
Rakhine weavers in Barguna’s Taltali upazila are passing busy days now as demand for warm winter clothes has surged amid a sharp drop in temperatures.
Mung bean cultivation expanding in Patuakhali
Idris Ali, a farmer of Kartikpasha village in Patuakhali’s Dumki upazila, has been cultivating mung beans after harvesting Aman paddy for about 20 years now.
Waste of Tk 13 crore
The government has constructed a fish-landing station at a cost of Tk 13 crore in Mohipur area of Patuakhali’s Kalapara upazila, but it has not been operational even after a year of its inauguration.
Nipa palm molasses, little-known but has immense potential
People have been producing molasses from nipa palm trees—popularly known as Gol Pata trees—for several years in different villages Kalapara upazila, including Nilganj, Nabipur, Mithaganj and Pakhimara.
The launch ride from hell
On one fine winter evening, exactly a year ago, a launch named MV Abhijan-10 left Dhaka for Barguna around 6:00pm, with over 600 on board, although there was room for only 420.
No school in sight in isolated Char Kashem
While she had no access to formal education, Saleha Begum, a resident of Char Kashem and a mother of six, dreams of sending her children to school. But that dream is yet to be fulfilled since not a single school exists in the char.
Kuakata witnesses influx of tourists
Travel-enthusiasts, holidaymakers and tourists are planning to rush to various vacation spots across the country during an upcoming three-day holiday, which includes the weekend.
Higher coal prices add more woes for brickmakers
The price of coal in Bangladesh has flared up by some 78 per cent over the past year, hitting Tk 32,000 per tonne at present compared to Tk 18,000 per tonne previously, as depreciation of the local currency against the US dollar has made imports costlier, according to industry people.
Living in uncertainty: Jyotsna longs for a place to call home
Although her name is Jyotsna, which means a moonlit night, her reality is the exact opposite. There is only uncertainty in her life. After spending three years in jail with her mother, Jyotsna stepped into Patuakhali orphanage at the age of seven.
Taltali’s dried fish market unfazed by inflation
The demand for dried fish from Barguna’s Taltali upazila seems unencumbered by rising inflation as the region is supplying some 150 maunds to markets across Bangladesh each week amid the ongoing production season, according to traders.
Passengers bear the brunt on 2nd day of water transport strike
Passengers across the country are facing hardships for the second consecutive day due to a strike called by water transport workers.
Tap into ocean tourism in Kuakata: experts
The number of people who go on vacation in Kuakata has increased exponentially ever since Padma Bridge was opened in June this year.
300-year-old artefacts unearthed by farmer in Patuakhali
Abdul Mannan Mridha, a farmer in Kalaraja village of Patuakhali’s Galachipa upazila, found some artefacts while digging a pond in 2015.Seven years later, on November 21, Galachipa Upazila Nirbahi Official (UNO) Mohiuddin Al Helal handed over the artefacts to a delegation of the archaeology
Headmaster, teacher, clerk -- all in one
In Char Kajal union of Patuakhali stands Uttar Chhota Char Kajal Government Primary School. This is the only school in this remote area, where some 120 students are currently enrolled.
BNP men reach Barishal by 41 trawlers
Several thousands of BNP leaders and activists boarded 41 trawlers and reached Barishal amid transport strike around the division to join the party rally scheduled for tomorrow (November 5, 2022).
Patuakhali, Pirojpur passengers suffer as bus services suspended
Passengers of Patuakhali are bearing the brunt as bus services in the district were suspended this morning (November 4, 2022) ahead of BNP’s divisional rally in Barishal tomorrow.
Barguna BSCIC estate off to a slow start
Only eight out of 61 plots have so far been allotted in the BSCIC industrial estate in Barguna as entrepreneurs are not showing much enthusiasm in securing land for higher costs in the coastal district well-known for agricultural produce and fisheries.
Disaster Warning: Radar station inactive for 4yrs
Due to technical problems, operations of Patuakhali’s Kalapara radar station have remained suspended for four whole years.
Fishers feel the pinch of hilsa catching ban
Fishers in the coastal district of Patuakhali are yet to get any support from the government’s Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF) programme even though eight days have passed since the 22-day ban on catching hilsa began on October 7.
Over 20km of embankments damaged
A total of 20.45 kilometres of flood-control embankments have been damaged in eight upazilas of Patuakhali due to downpour and tidal surge, triggered by depression over the Bay.
Grabbing canal for farming fish
Some influential locals have reportedly built dams in at least 10 places of the 2.5-km Char Immersion Government Canal in Patuakhali’s Rangabali upazila for farming fish.
Chawra canal, a victim of greed
Barguna’s Chawra canal is on the verge of extinction due to encroachment and pollution.
Farmers in Barguna inspired by single success
Former expat Habibur Rahman Matubbar, a resident of Kewabunya village under Amtali upazila in Barguna, has been enjoying great success in cultivating malta on his 15 bighas of land for the past seven years or so.
Not repaired in 3 decades
Farmers of Rangabali upazila of Patuakhali are struggling to save their crops from flooding as most of the sluice gates installed on various rivers and canals remain inoperative due to a lack of maintenance.
‘The building can collapse any moment’
Mariam Akhter Anika is a 10th grader at Pangashia Girls’ High School in Patuakhali’s Dumki upazila. However, during most of her classes she remains distracted -- staring at the ceiling and the beams to watch out when the plaster falls off.
Sukumar and his avian friends
Despite being rich in birdlife, habitat destruction is looming over the country’s avian species.
Dragon fruit cultivation gaining ground
People in Bangladesh once barely knew about dragon fruit, also called pitaya, but it is gradually making its way into the fields by winning the hearts of farmers all over the country through its immense popularity.
Moong dal exports to Japan on the rise
Grameen Euglena, a joint venture between Japan’s Euglena Co Ltd and Bangladesh’s Grameen Krishi Foundation, has been processing moong dal collected from Patuakhali and exporting it to Japan since 2018.
20 tonnes garbage dumped at riverside daily!
All the garbage produced across Patuakhali town are dumped on the bank of Lawkathi river, contributing to serious environmental pollution and subsequent health hazard.
Padma Bridge to strengthen Patuakhali’s fishing industry
Patuakhali, a southern district on the shores of the Bay of Bengal, annually produces about 1.23 lakh tonnes of fish, of which 36,000 tonnes are consumed locally while the remainder is sold in different parts of the country.
Kuakata tourism to boom once Padma bridge opens
Kuakata, home to the second largest beach in Bangladesh, is already visited by a large number of domestic and foreign tourists each year but their numbers could increase seven-fold once the Padma Multipurpose Bridge is officially opened, according to local businesspeople.
Rakhines cast aside for tourism conquest in Kuakata
Kuakata, the country’s second largest sea beach, is being turned into a tourist destination without a structured plan, kicking out the native Rakhine population in the process.
A prelude to extinction
Seven points in the junction of Tentulia, Agunmukha and Buragauranga estuaries in Patuakhali are one of the breeding grounds of the indigenous pangas fry in the country. The points have been declared as sanctuaries for breeding and migration of the indigenous species of pangas.
Barishal farmers bet on watermelon
Farmers in Barishal division have bet on watermelon cultivation to help overcome the economic challenges brought on by Covid-19, such as losses incurred in growing other crops, as they are getting good prices this season.
December 28, 2021
Launch fire tragedy : Hafsa set to get married, albeit with a heavy heart
The eldest daughter of Pakhi Begum and Abdul Hakim, passengers of MV Abhijan-10 who went missing since the tragic launch fire, Hafsa (18) is set to get married on Friday.
December 26, 2021
Bodies of twins identified, mother still missing
They were on their way to visit their grandfather’s house in Barguna’s Taltoli upazila. But as luck would have it, four year old twins Samia and Lamia never reached there, as they died in the MV Abhijan-10 launch fire.
December 19, 2021
Now landlessness bars Barguna youth’s police job
After Barishal’s Aspia Islam was barred from joining as a police constable, despite passing the written, viva, and health tests, due to being “landless”, this time uncertainty looms over Barguna youth Sajal’s getting the job for the same reason.
November 10, 2021
Southern levee improvement project nears completion
The reinforcing and heightening work of old coastal embankments in Pirojpur, Barguna and Patuakhali is going on in full swing, with the completion deadline of June 2022.
October 3, 2021
Payra bridge to boost trade, tourism
The long awaited Payra bridge, which will facilitate road transport between a seaport and popular tourist destinations nearby, is finally nearing completion a good five years after its original due date.
July 29, 2021
No ICU, testing lab for 28 lakh residents of Patuakhali, Barguna
It has been more than a year since the novel coronavirus pandemic broke out in the country.
July 6, 2021
Black plum harvests revive Barguna farmer’s glories
A former presidential award winner for cultivating watermelon and vegetables is now making a name in Barguna with his black plum trees, that too selling off most of this season’s Tk 15 lakh-worth harvests through Facebook.
June 28, 2021
Barguna’s healthcare crisis
Barguna finds itself in a unique position regarding its healthcare services. While the technology and facilities in the local hospitals are regularly updated, the lack of awareness about available healthcare services, as well as an absence of adequate human resources, have created a vacuum.
June 20, 2021
Patuakhali teacher finds success in commercial cultivation of tween fruit
A madrasa teacher has seen the face of success by commercially cultivating tween fruit, commonly known as fig, in Patuakhali during the Covid-19 pandemic situation.
June 8, 2021
Drinking water scarce in eight upazilas
Thousands in seven out of eight upazilas in Patuakhali district are under the risk of acquiring diarrhoea and other water-borne illnesses as tidal waters inflicted by cyclone Yaas left at least 715 deep tube wells in the region damaged.
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