Partha Chakraborty

Farmers in different parts of the country are being compelled to buy fertiliser, a key ingredient for crop production, by paying more than government-fixed prices.

An automatic biochemistry analyser machine procured at the Bagerhat 250-bed Hospital has been lying unused for over a year. No allocation has yet been made to procure the reagents for conducting diagnostic tests using the machine.

Sarankhola, a small upazila in Bagerhat, is a place of scenic beauty that has recently seen a renewed interest in tourism. This upazila, of around 152 square kilometres, is bounded to the east by the Baleshwar River, to the north by Morrelgonj, and the south and west by the Sundarbans and the Bay of Bengal.

In 2013, Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE) in Bagerhat set up a water-treatment plant in Kachua upazila at a cost of Tk 1.10 crore. And this plant has been bounty for the locals ever since.

It seems nothing can stop organised criminal gangs from stealing machines, materials and different kinds of equipment from Bagerhat’s Rampal coal-based thermal power plant.

Students of Gazi Azizul Haque Government Primary School in Bagerhat are doing classes in horrible conditions at a makeshift bamboo structure, with a roof made out of plastic sheets.

It’s a long-held heritage of the southerners to use “chui jhal” (piper chaba) along with other spices to cook meat. This spice is extremely popular in the region throughout the year. However, the demand multiplies before Eid-ul-Azha.

Until March 20, Vumi Book Café and Guest House in Bagerhat were like any other small-scale hotel, serving customers hearty meals and comfortable lodging.