Mintu Deshwara

The name “Sreemangal” makes the heart tremble, according to a man who came to visit the ever-popular tourist destination to enjoy the Eid holiday with his family.

Right beside the famous Humhum waterfall in Moulvibazar’s Kamalganj stands another unexplored waterfall. Locally called “Fikol Jhorna”, the fall is surrounded by a few hills. It stands a hundred feet above a hilltop.

Miscreants, allegedly under the patronage of forest department and local influentials, have been logging trees in the protected Lathitila forest in Moulvibazar’s Juri upazila.

Several thousand temporary tea workers in the country, especially in Sreemangal, don’t get the same daily wages as the permanent ones do. Moreover, they are also being deprived of various government benefits.

Although road construction inside the Lathitila protected forest was halted due to the forest officials’ intervention, works have resumed ignoring their concerns, allegedly following the environment minister’s order.

In Mouvibazar’s South Gangul village, a bridge remains unused by residents for almost two decades, because one family objected to building the connecting path on its land.

Manipuri clothing weavers in Moulvibazar and Sylhet are passing busy days ahead of the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr, which will be celebrated in colour for the first time in two years thanks to the easing of coronavirus restrictions.

“Even after 50 years of independence, this historic place has not been properly preserved. There’s no awareness in this regard,” lamented freedom fighter Abdul Malek Madhu, deputy commander of Madhabpur upazila Bangladesh Muktijoddha Sangsad.

Visiting the Town Mosque Road area recently, this correspondent found some workers throwing bags of sand in the pond. Local traders said the work started around a week ago.

Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) has taken an initiative to construct a road through Lathitila Protected Forest in Moulvibazar’s Juri Upazila.

Nandiura, a village in Moulvibazar’s Rajnagar upazila, was once famous for almost all its inhabitants being engaged in pottery.

Once upon a time, there were ever-flowing streams running through the Satchhari National Park.

After Gazipur and Dulahazra, the forest department has finalised plans to build the country’s third safari park in Lathitila forest, located in Moulvibazar’s Juri upazila.

The river is called Sutki. It flows at least 20 kilometres after originating from the Kushiara river in Lohajuri area under Baniachong upazila in Habiganj before falling into the Ratna river at Pratabpur of the same upazila.

A family of four – with physical disability – belonging to the Mahato community, has received a new house, two sheep, two months' food stock and cash assistance.

Juri has been robbed of its beauty.

There’s a haat in Moulvibazar where all the sellers are women. Aptly called “Kainya”, the haat is gradually gaining popularity among local buyers and sellers.

Women tea workers not only play a vital role in their industry, they’re also the rocks of their family’s economic fortunes. But for all the work that they do, they are plagued by malnutrition, stigma, financial uncertainty, lack of awareness regarding gender issues and lack of hygiene.

Although flocks of birds could be seen roaming around the watchtower of Baikka Beel once upon a time, presently, the numbers have drastically reduced.

Noria village falls under Kagabala union in Moulvibazar Sadar upazila, but it differs from most other villages due to the atrocities that took place there during the Liberation War. The “Noria genocide” is a part of history that reminds us of the horrors of the nine-month war that started in this very month of March.