Sohrab Hossain

When the topic of menstruation is still considered somewhat a taboo in the country, the district administration of Barguna has come forward with a bold move to ensure proper adolescent health practices among students in the district.

A section of fishermen have continued catching fish with illegally set large trap nets in the rivers of the coastal area and the shore of the Bay of Bengal, posing threat to different species of marine as well as sweet water fish.

She has become the only fisherwoman with licence to catch hilsa in Barishal division after securing a place in the traditionally male-dominated fishing industry.

The huge quantities of garbage collected from the district town is left in the open space on the Lawkathi river, causing serious environment pollution and posing health hazard for the locals.

Academic activities at Patuakhali Government College is badly hampered as only 66 teachers are working there for around 15,000 students.

Over 200 congested structures built near Zero Point of Kuakata sea beach badly affects natural beauty of the famous tourist spot, in addition to impeding free movement of visitors.

Remains of a damaged building are lying scattered over a large area on Kuakata sea beach for years, much to the trouble for tourists visiting the picturesque spot.

Around 20,000 people of seven villages under Mithaganj and Nilganj unions in Kalapara upazila are badly suffering as around 2,000-foot area of the upazila connecting road at Tegachia Kheyaghat collapsed into the Sonatala river two weeks ago.

The 8-kilometre-long Bahalgachia canal, flowing between Patuakhali municipality and Kalikapur union in Sadar upazila, once served as a route for launches, cargo boats and trawlers but now it is unusable even for small country boats, thanks to the mindless encroachment for years.

Trawlers, speedboats and other small watercrafts are often kept anchored haphazardly in Kuakata sea beach, much to the nuisance for a large number of tourists in the picturesque area.

Although a new pontoon and jetty lie at Kalapara launch ghat, its leaser is not using the terminal for launches for long.

Unusually low market price of Aman paddy at the beginning of harvesting period frustrates farmers of Patuakhali and adjacent Barguna district.

Virtually abandoned and cheated allegedly by the only living son and his wife, an elderly ailing couple are passing days amid sufferings.

A large number of vegetable farmers affected by the recent cyclone Bulbul are now preparing their fields for cultivation of the seasonal crops again in a bid to recoup the loss.

All the 17 water filters at Patuakhali General Hospital have gone out of order within three months of installation.

As recently as five years ago, Sobhan Ali Howlader, a native of Kalapara upazila of Patuakhali district, would barely make ends meet by catching fish at the nearby Andharmanik river.

Many of the treatment seekers at Patuakhali General Hospital’s gynaecology department have to stay on the floor as the 36-bed ward is too inadequate to accommodate the rising number of patients.

Eight-year-old Khadija Akhter has never been to school. She is also well past the eligible age to enter a primary school.

Patuakhali bridge on the river Patuakhali is crucial for communications with Payra sea port, several ongoing power plants in the region, district headquarters of Patuakhali and Barishal, and Kuakata sea beach.

Aman farmers in different areas of Patuakhali are worried as the plants are drying due to attack of pests like stem borer, leaf folder and grasshopper.