Mintu Deshwara

Due to encroachment and waste dumping, the Old Khowai river, flowing through Habiganj, has been turned into a narrow canal.

Hundreds of people from lower-income backgrounds in the haor and tea garden areas in Moulvibazar depend on the Rajnagar Upazila Health Complex for affordable medical treatment.

If one visits Patrokhola Tea Garden in Moulvibazar’s Kamalganj upazila, one will come across a serene cemetery.

Since the Duga Puja celebrations started on October 1, hundreds of people, from all walks of life, have been flocking to a particular temple in Moulvibazar town.

Among the 167 species of plants in Moulvibazar’s Lawachhara forest, two rare species of trees, known as the “African Teak Oak”, were the elements that attraction for hundreds of tourists to the forest.

South Asia’s largest wetland ecosystem, the Hakaluki haor, is currently under threat as its fish population and aquatic plants is in decline due to illegal fishing.

Hiramoni Bhumij, 30, Purnima Bhumij, 28, Radha Mahali, 40 and Shukantala Bhumij, 40.

After a 15-day work abstention, tea workers resumed work for a daily wage of Tk 170 yesterday morning.

Nineteen days after they started a demonstration demanding daily wage of Tk 300, tea garden workers have joined work today (August 28, 2022) for daily wage of Tk 170.

Tea workers have expressed mixed reactions to the daily wage set at Tk 170, following a meeting between tea garden owners and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her official residence Gono Bhaban.

Basanti Bauri, 40, of Moulvibazar works for a renowned tea estate as a “plucker”. Her day starts at 5:00am sharp. After paying homage to the family deity, she prepares food for her three children and husband.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has invited all tea estate owners to the Gono Bhaban for a meeting tomorrow.

Hundreds of tea workers blocked roads for hours at multiple points of Moulvibazar yesterday, the 12th day of their work abstention, to press home their demand for a daily wage of Tk 300.

Workers of different tea estates in Sylhet, Habiganj, and Moulvibazar continued work abstention yesterday demanding Tk 300 daily wage.

Many tea plantation workers continued their protest yesterday, disregarding their union leaders’ agreement on the withdrawal of ongoing strike demanding pay hike.

Demanding a pay hike, tea plantation workers in Sylhet, Habiganj and Moulvibazar blocked the Dhaka-Sylhet highway at least for two hours yesterday.

Bunobhir union of Moulvibazar’s Sreemangal upazila has become a hub of illegal sand mining, posing threat to nearby farmlands and damaging the soil fertility in the area.

“Today, I protest so that I don’t die out of hunger. It’s a protest for our lives, our survival and our rights.”

The Department of Labour organised a tripartite meeting between owners of tea gardens and tea workers’ leaders yesterday. However, workers’ strike continued this morning as no agreement was reached regarding their demand for an increased minimum wage.

Due to the Dhaka-Sylhet railway and Srimangal-Bhanugach road running through the reserve forest of Lawachhara, many of the critically endangered species have died in accidents while crossing them.