Pinaki Roy

A vast number of century-old trees have been felled by loggers at a remote reserve forest and wildlife sanctuary in Thanchi of Bandarban in the last two months, and as seen in satellite images, about a hundred acres of it have been totally razed over the last few years.

It was past midnight at Saidpur Rail Station. In the dim light, mostly Hindu Marwaris and some Bangalees from all walks of life could be seen standing beside the platform. Tense, even those who knew each other were not talking.

A ruling party MP has filled up more than 54 acres from the Buriganga river and wetland to construct a power plant and a private economic zone in Basila, according to a government probe report.

Coal-fired power projects are on the chopping block as the government finally plans to give up its obsession for the dirty energy over rising coal import costs and environmental concerns.

The government intends to make the country self-sufficient in onion by increasing the production of this essential cooking ingredient but it may take years as overcoming the seed crisis remains a major challenge.

So where have they gone? Despite 76,000 children being born in the camps in the last three years, the number of Rohingya refugees in all camps of Ukhiya and Teknaf has actually decreased to 8.60 lakh as of July this year.

Prolonged and multiple monsoon floods have disrupted cultivation of Aman paddy, which provides around 36 percent of total rice production in the country.

Though farmers have been hit hard by the pandemic, no special stimulus package for small farmers was announced in the proposed budget, frustrating agriculture experts and economists.

Though forests are meant to be conserved, they are being allocated for constructing highways, rail lines, government offices and even for drilling gas wells. For any development project, forestland seems to be readily available.

To ensure fair prices for Boro farmers, the government under its procurement programme should only buy paddy from the growers instead of rice from millers, a study suggested.

Cyclone Amphan has left behind a trail of destruction in the country’s coastal areas, affecting more than a million people in nine districts in Khulna and Barishal divisions.

The Sundarbans have once again proved to be the key saviour of the country in times of natural calamity as the mangrove forest absorbed the fury of Cyclone Amphan, much as it had done before with similar forces of nature.

Thousands of people have been moved to storm shelters in 19 coastal districts of the country as Cyclone Amphan is set to make landfall this evening with heavy rainfall and storm surges above 10 feet.

Cyclone Amphan was gaining pace in the Bay yesterday and may hit Bangladesh coast near the Sundarbans in the early hours of tomorrow, the met office warns.

Amphan, the cyclone formed in the Bay of Bengal on Saturday, may lash the coastal districts in three days, upending social distancing and hygiene practices needed to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

With the severe cyclonic storm “Amphan” approaching the coast, the agricultural office has advised farmers in coastal districts to harvest all the paddy that have matured up to at least 80 percent matured.

Once the Boro harvest is completed across the country, the nation is unlikely to face cereal shortage in the next six months.

A shipbreaking company is set to illegally import a highly toxic ship for scrapping, risking workers’ health and environmental damage.

Shafiul Alam, a worker at a garment factory in coronavirus-hit Gazipur, returned to his village home in Pirojpur’s Bhandaria upazila on April 15.

The government is taking steps to increase food grain stock and help farmers get fair prices for their produce amid the coronavirus outbreak.