EAM Asaduzzaman

Establishing a gas transmission line in the country’s northern districts has almost been completed, but people and industries in the region will not benefit from the progress immediately because of a lack of a distribution network.

Nilsagar, a large man-made waterbody in Nilphamari, was once abuzz with the chirping and fluttering of thousands of migratory birds during winter. However, things changed after 1999.

Small export-oriented garment factories in Saidpur of Nilphamari are struggling to recover from setbacks faced during the Covid-19 pandemic, when orders from abroad took a steep dive owing to lower demand amid economic uncertainty.

In 1997-98 fiscal, a bridge was constructed over Bhulli river, connecting Nilphamari and Dinajpur. However, over half of the concrete structure washed away into the river following a flood in 2017.

Efforts to turn Saidpur airport in Nilphamari into an international airport are underway as making it a key transit point would boost connectivity with Nepal, Bhutan and the Seven Sister states of India, according to government officials.

Life is easier now for Abu Taleb, 45, a potato farmer of Saddyo Puskuruni village in Rangpur.

Farmers in three northern districts, living in the area covered by the Teesta Irrigation Project, saved around Tk 95 crore in irrigation costs during the ongoing Aman season as they got surface water from the Teesta through the canal network at a cheap rate.

Farmers are enjoying good sales of early harvest potatoes, which cost an astonishing Tk 400 per kilogramme (kg) after hitting markets in Dinajpur and its neighbouring districts by the end of last week.

Flour mills in eight northern districts of Rangpur division are struggling to continue production as wheat has become scarce in international markets amid the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, two major exporters of the cereal grain.

Under a project, a farm in Nilphamari was ready for a welcome change, as authorities were supposed to make its land more suitable for the production of seed potatoes.

Weeds and bushes have taken over the buildings, making them a safe habitat for poisonous insects. The plasters have already fallen off, revealing the inner bricks and iron rods, while doors and windows no longer exist.

Although many industrial estates under the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) seem to be in shambles, the one in Nilphamari paints a picture of success.

The challenges of pursuing education for children in rural Bangladesh are manifold, poverty and early marriage are only to name a few.

Production has slowed at small jute mills in northern regions of Bangladesh due to low quality of raw jute resulting from problems in retting during harvest, according to market players.

The life of the working class is not easy, and railway workers are no exception to that norm.

The harvesting of early Aman paddy varieties has begun in five northern districts, namely Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Nilphamari, and Rangpur, a relief amid rising prices of rice at home and a growing threat of food crisis globally.   

The reopening of mills owned by the Bangladesh Textile Mills Corporation (BTMC) under a public-private partnership (PPP) programme is still shrouded in mystery as the private sector’s response remains poor eight years after the prime minister issued a directive in this regard.

Green building practices have gained momentum in Bangladesh as eco-friendly bricks are being widely used for all manner of construction in a bid to reduce the environmental degradation caused by conventional brick kilns.

Small and light engineering industries in Saidpur have helped the railway town emerge as a hub for producing valuable machinery and spare parts consumed by various sectors, thus cutting dependence on imports, saving foreign currencies and generating jobs for thousands.

“I never thought a government hospital in a remote upazila could render the quality service I received at Domar Upazila Health Complex. I was admitted here to give birth to my first child, and I felt at home,” wrote Sadia Sultana (19) of Domar municipality in the hospital’s comments register on January 24.