Mintu Deshwara

Unregulated and illegal sand extraction beneath the Deochara Bridge in Chunarughat upazila of Habiganj has put the vital infrastructure at serious risk, raising fears among locals that a collapse may be imminent.

In the hills of Akbarpur, a green revolution is taking root -- not driven by large corporations, but by the vision and hard work of one man.

At least a 10-kilometre stretch from Jagdishpur to Shahjibazar in Madhabpur upazila of Habiganj has become virtually impassable due to prolonged neglect and lack of maintenance, causing immense suffering for thousands of residents.

In the heart of Moulvibazar’s Sreemangal upazila, inside the Bormachhara Tea Garden, a language is quietly slipping into oblivion.

Permanent and temporary markets continue to spring up illegally along the Dhaka-Sylhet highway, in clear violation of the law. These unauthorised structures are causing severe traffic congestion, particularly due to the presence of small vehicles, CNG-run auto-rickshaws, and goods carriers that frequent the areas.

The incident occurred near the Pratappur border BGB camp in Ward-6 of Paschim Jaflong union

Adampur union's Bangaon village emerged as a hub of commercial tomato cultivation

As the other workers fled in panic, a local youth, Siddiqur Rahman, rushed to the scene upon hearing the victim's screams

Over 4,200 hectares of barren land brought under cultivation

The echoes of children playing have long fallen silent at Suaboi Government Primary School in Madhabpur upazila of Habiganj, where stagnant water has gripped the premises for nearly six months.

With the only wooden bridge in the area -- their only means of travel to nearby markets, schools, and health facilities -- washed away by recent torrential rains, residents of Maijgaon in the Ranigaon Union of Chunarughat upazila in Habiganj are now relying on a makeshift banana raft to cross the river.

Frustrated locals fix issues themselves with funds from expatriates

The 50-bed Shayestaganj Upazila Health Complex in Habiganj has remained non-operational for the past eight years due to unresolved land acquisition complications, leaving more than 1.5 lakh residents without access to essential healthcare services.

A section of the Bashirpur-Bazarchali road in Paschim Juri Union under Juri upazila of Moulvibazar has remained submerged for years, severely disrupting the daily movement of locals, particularly school- and college-going students.

“I thought, perhaps, I would be able to spend my few remaining days in peace at my late husband’s village home. Kalni devoured it all. Only a part of the door now remains,” said Suniti Rani Sutradhar, 87, of Badarpur village under Ajmeriganj upazila of Habiganj.

The government imposed a 20kmph speed limit for trains and vehicles passing through Lawachara National Park in Kamalganj upazila of Moulvibazar in 2023 to protect wildlife.

The Rajnagar Upazila Health Complex in Moulvibazar has long been grappling with severe disruption to its services due to an acute shortage of doctors and technical staff.

Even before dawn breaks in mid-summer, the Brahmanbazar wholesale market in Kulaura upazila bursts into life. Buyers and sellers crowd the area, haggling over the price of ripe jackfruit, their sweet aroma filling the air.

At least 10 to 12 age-old teak trees have been illegally felled and stolen in recent weeks from Section 16 of Satchari National Park, a protected forest in Chunarughat upazila of Habiganj -- raising serious concerns over forest management and surveillance failures.

Amir Hossain Siraj, a nursery business owner by profession and a bamboo craftsman by passion, began crafting bamboo décor for village weddings back in 2003 as a hobby.