Mostafa Shabuj

The spiralling prices of raw materials have been taking a heavy toll on the handicrafts makers in Bogura, as the Covid-19 outbreak, incessant rain and the fourth spell of flood have destroyed the whole supply chain in the district.

Olivia Hembrom, 33, was left wanting for food and work in March when coronavirus and a nationwide shutdown hit Bangladesh.

A garbage dump, created on around five bighas of land of an NGO in Bogura, is facing DoE censure for not having an environmental clearance certificate.

A fourth spell of floods in the Bogura region and a third spell in Rangpur have devastated 35,454 hectares of crops, including advance winter vegetables, according to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE).

Bangladesh women’s team cricketer Sanjida Islam’s wedding photoshoot went viral on social media to the point that even the International Cricket Council’s website picked up the pictures with the caption: “Dress, Jewellery, cricket bat. Wedding photoshoots for cricketers be like …”

The proudest moment for a father, probably, is when he is known among friends and others through his children’s identity. For Hamdu Miah, a mere employee of the government’s central poultry farm, there probably is no other prouder feeling than being referred to as ‘Nahida’s [Akter] father’.

The Covid-19 crisis has made lives of many people, especially marginal farmers, miserable. To overcome this situation, the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Bogura has recently taken an initiative to distribute free vegetable seeds and money among the marginal farmers under the gardening project.

It is usually tough for women in our country to take up cricket -- or any other sport for that matter -- as a profession. For Murshida Khatun, a 21-year-old left-handed batter, it was even tougher.

A local Awami League leader in Nandigram, Bogura has reportedly stolen Tk 100 crore from his mother-in-law by forcing her to write him cheques and fixed deposit receipts, according to a complaint filed with Bogura Police Station.

Since the halt of cricketing activities due to the coronavirus pandemic, the hardships of male domestic cricketers were well documented, but the plight of female domestic players is as bad, if not worse.

How often is it that people shy away from doing something just because they think they are too old to do that? Bangladesh wicketkeeper batter Shamima Sultana is different from everyone in that regard. And hence, her story of emergence is also unique and different from most of her teammates.

From an outsider’s point of view, cricket in Bangladesh may always seem glamorous. It is however not the case always, especially not for women cricketers.

Bangladesh government has decided to open all heritage sites and museums under the Department of Archaeology on a limited scale from tomorrow after six months' closure due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Before winning the Under-19 World Cup this year, the young Tigers went to the Shaheed Chandu Stadium in Bogura in December 2019 to prepare for the global showpiece event in South Africa. U-19 captain Akbar Ali, their manager and coach told this correspondent that Bogura has grassy wickets and boast the best bouncy wickets in the country.

Courageous and resilient are perhaps two words associated with people from Magura. The statement holds true when we talk about Bangladesh’s brightest star, Shakib Al Hasan, who hails from this small district in Khulna.

Bangladesh wicketkeeper-batsman Mushfiqur Rahim visited his hometown Bogura yesterday to spend some time with his family before leaving for the Sri Lanka tour next month. However, the 33-year-old, known as the most hardworking cricketer among his teammates, did not stop practicing as he completed practice sessions with the local boys at his home ground Shaheed Chandu Stadium from 11:30am to 2:30pm today.

Rajshahi Medical College campus and areas around the hospital premises have turned into a haven for birds, with hundreds of Asian openbill (locally known as shamukkhol), night heron, and cormorants nesting and breeding there.

Ashraf Ali (50), once a well-off farmer of Char Haatbaria village under Sariakandi upazila in Bogura, has lost everything to river erosion in just a matter of days.

For most people, sport is mere entertainment during their early age. It may later turn into a profession, but that usually depends on a lot of factors. However, for Bangladesh batter Sanjida Islam, even during her childhood, sport was more a necessity than a form of entertainment.

More than 1.25 lakh people have been suffering immensely since June 26 due to the flood situation in Bogura’s Dhunat, Sonatala and Sariakandi upazilas.