Sohrab Hossain

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.

After her day labourer husband died 30 years ago, Chan Banu, now aged 120, became a dependent of their three sons and three daughters. But all these years, she was left out of the government’s Widow Allowance scheme.

Fishermen working in the Bay remain highly vulnerable as most of the trawlers operate without adequate lifesaving equipment.

Kalapara upazila administration during a drive on Saturday recovered about 50 acres of grabbed land near the Payra seaport.

Evening arrives on the crest of waves at Shubho Sandhya beach as the jhau trees planted along the shore whispers melodies to the breeze.

Around one lakh people of four unions under Patuakhali Sadar upazila are badly suffering as at least 14-km area of the 25-km road from Patuakhali Sadar upazila office to Khatashia Bazar in Borobighai union remains virtually unusable due to lack of renovation.

Under construction Kuakata sea beach protection dyke has virtually collapsed, amid alleged irregularities including use of substandard materials in the work.

People of some 50 coastal islands under Char Kazol and Char Biswas unions in Patuakhali’s Galachipa upazila have to take risky journey by small mechanized boats on the Buragourango river between Bodnatali and Charkazol terminals to go to the upazila

Twelve-year-old Jannati’s dream of going to school was far-fetched because she had to get up early every day and accompany her mother Sukhi Begum for work.

Indiscriminate sand lifting from the Ramnabad river poses threat to agricultural lands, flood control embankments and dwelling houses in Char Joybangla area under Galachipa upazila of Patuakhali.

Thousands of new houses are suddenly springing up in the middle of farmlands in nine mouzas of Kalapara upazila where the authorities recently issued acquisition notices to land owners for Payra sea port project.

The two attackers, who hacked Barguna youth Rifat Sharif to death in front of his wife in broad daylight, are listed drug peddlers and accused in multiple narcotics and mugging cases.

Services in ten government offices at newly formed Rangabali upazila are greatly hampered due to acute shortage of manpower.

Health service in Patuakhali is limping amid severe manpower crisis as 69 doctors are presently working against 228 posts at different health institutions including hospital, health complex and health centres in the district’s eight upazilas.

A section of brick and sand traders has started grabbing land on the bank of Ramnabad river in Galachipa upazila headquarters. About three acres of land on the riverbank have already been grabbed.

Tengragiri reserve forest in Barguna’s Taltali upazila faces extinction due to erosion by the Bay. Furthermore, indiscriminate looting of trees threatens the forest, also known as Fatrarban forest.