Mintu Deshwara

Monaf Mia, a 65-year-old tea worker in Mominchhara tea garden of Sylhet’s Fenchuganj, works in the gardens all day, only to come back home at night to get soaked in rainwater, due to the dilapidated condition of the roof over his head.

“When the first signs of rain came, I harvested the paddy in a hurry. But now, four days since the downpour, I’ve lost both my house and the paddy. I don’t know how I’ll harvest the rest of it. We’re in danger.”

With rivers in Sylhet and Sunamganj still flowing above the danger level, fisheries and crop farms have been bearing the brunt.

With the weather forecast indicating deterioration of the flood situation in the north-eastern region, the demand for relief is increasing in the affected areas of Sylhet and Sunamganj.

This is the story of a group, but more than that, it’s the story of the man behind it.

With its serene waters and tranquil environment, Madhabkunda waterfall in Moulvibazar is among the top picks of tourists to visit during the holidays.

The number of migratory birds at Hakaluki Haor has been gradually decreasing over the last five years for a variety of reasons.

During the Eid holidays, Lawachhara National Park sees tourists double its capacity. This has been the trend for quite some years now, except for the hiatus due to the pandemic in the last two years.

The name “Sreemangal” makes the heart tremble, according to a man who came to visit the ever-popular tourist destination to enjoy the Eid holiday with his family.

Right beside the famous Humhum waterfall in Moulvibazar’s Kamalganj stands another unexplored waterfall. Locally called “Fikol Jhorna”, the fall is surrounded by a few hills. It stands a hundred feet above a hilltop.

Miscreants, allegedly under the patronage of forest department and local influentials, have been logging trees in the protected Lathitila forest in Moulvibazar’s Juri upazila.

Several thousand temporary tea workers in the country, especially in Sreemangal, don’t get the same daily wages as the permanent ones do. Moreover, they are also being deprived of various government benefits.

Although road construction inside the Lathitila protected forest was halted due to the forest officials’ intervention, works have resumed ignoring their concerns, allegedly following the environment minister’s order.

In Mouvibazar’s South Gangul village, a bridge remains unused by residents for almost two decades, because one family objected to building the connecting path on its land.

Manipuri clothing weavers in Moulvibazar and Sylhet are passing busy days ahead of the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr, which will be celebrated in colour for the first time in two years thanks to the easing of coronavirus restrictions.

“Even after 50 years of independence, this historic place has not been properly preserved. There’s no awareness in this regard,” lamented freedom fighter Abdul Malek Madhu, deputy commander of Madhabpur upazila Bangladesh Muktijoddha Sangsad.

Visiting the Town Mosque Road area recently, this correspondent found some workers throwing bags of sand in the pond. Local traders said the work started around a week ago.

Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) has taken an initiative to construct a road through Lathitila Protected Forest in Moulvibazar’s Juri Upazila.

Nandiura, a village in Moulvibazar’s Rajnagar upazila, was once famous for almost all its inhabitants being engaged in pottery.

Once upon a time, there were ever-flowing streams running through the Satchhari National Park.