Suzit Kumar Das

He plants trees, feeds poor, and buys gifts for underprivileged children

Government's import plan causes immediate drop in wholesale onion prices

Incessant rain, low yields undercut better prices, causing fear among farmers

Police on Saturday night filed four more cases, bringing murder charges against 5,400 unnamed individuals in connection with the Gopalganj violence last week.

Family members of the five victims killed in the Gopalganj violence last week expressed their reluctance to file cases, fearing they would not get justice.

Ahmed Sheikh once earned his living by weaving lungis and gamchhas (traditional lower garments for men and thin cotton towels) on three handlooms at his home in Pangsha upazila of Rajbari.

Using low-cost, locally sourced materials, the authorities began the construction of 300 model onion storage sheds in November last year in five major onion-producing districts. The target was to complete the sheds by March, enabling farmers to preserve their harvest for months and reduce post-harvest losses.

Onion prices have been increasing over the past weeks, as farmers and traders release fewer stocks to local markets in the hope of better returns amid the government’s suspension of imports.

Onion prices have been increasing over the past weeks, as farmers and traders release fewer stocks to local markets in the hope of better returns amid the government’s suspension of imports

Both the acreage and production of lentils have been declining over the years, according to official data, as farmers cite a combination of factors, including lower profitability, frequent crop diseases and unfavourable weather.

Onion farmers, who saw high profits last year, are now struggling due to a sharp drop in prices at the peak of the harvesting season.

Prices of raw jute, once dubbed the “golden fibre” of Bangladesh, have increased by nearly 19 percent year-on-year as demand has outpaced supply following the government’s ban on polythene bags.

Raw jute production in Bangladesh has declined by nearly 10 percent year-on-year, mainly due to punishing heat during the planting period in March and April.

According to the state-run Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), local varieties of onions were being sold for Tk 105 to Tk 115 per kg yesterday compared to Tk 95 to Tk 100 per kg a week ago.

Kaniz Fatema, 31, a homemaker from Pierpur village in Faridpur, earns Tk 40,000-45,000 per month by producing vermicompost, allowing her to become self-reliant and create job opportunities for others.

AK Azad, an Awami League leader who ran as an independent, had to fight against all odds to win yesterday’s parliamentary polls from Faridpur-3.

Jute growers in Bangladesh are facing deepening woes as prices of the natural fibre have been in a downward slide amid a consistent decline in exports, according to industry insiders.

The opening of the Padma Bridge promises an economic boon, but for the sex workers of the country’s largest brothel, right next to Daulatdia ferry terminal, it spells doom.

The century-old boat market in Bhanga upazila of Faridpur is abuzz with buyers and sellers thanks to rising water levels in the Kumar river amid recent rains, but customer turnout is far less than before.

Rafiqul Islam and Shiuli Aktar, a couple who live in Ikor Char village under Baliakandi upazila of Rajbari, once found it difficult to ensure proper nutrition for their two children.