Sushanta Ghosh

Fishers across Bhola, Mehendiganj and Barishal report frustration and losses

Thousands of passengers are being forced to cross the Meghna river on illegal trawlers on the Monpura-Tazumuddin route in Bhola at great risk despite a seasonal ban on such vessels in the perilous waters, as the only sea truck on the route has been out of service for around a year and a half following mechanical failure.

The 1.5km stretch along the western bank now attracts huge crowds with scenic walkways and greenery

A woman died at Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital in Barishal as her oxygen supply was removed to help another patient whose family had paid Tk 200 to a trolley man, alleges the family.

Nearly half of the fishermen in Bhola are being deprived of the government’s rice assistance amid the ongoing ban on fishing.

Residents of Baruipara in Harhar village under Barishal’s Gournadi upazila still avoid a place known as “Morar Bhita”, which translates roughly to “house of the dead”, 55 years since the Liberation War.

Villagers avoid the site where around 150 were killed in 1971, and calls for a memorial remain unanswered

For the people of the boat-dwelling Manta community in Barishal, Eid celebrations are rather short-lived. The hardships they face on a daily basis return the very next day.

Women in 21 villages keep earthen ovens burning from dawn to dusk

Arrest of bar chief and case against 12 lawyers trigger court boycott, leaving thousands of litigants stranded

Officials seek helicopters, logistics support

For the first time, members of the river-dwelling Manta community in Barishal are set to exercise their voting rights in the upcoming 13th national elections.

The National Housing Authority’s Rupatali unit in Barishal has been filling up a portion of Lalar Dighi, the largest natural waterbody in the city, raising serious environmental and legal concerns.

To recover, they have expanded cultivation this year, using more land and producing a wider variety of seedlings

Despite centuries of life on the water, the Mantas remain invisible in official records.

Relatives claim they are now at West Bengal jail

Large-sized hilsa have almost disappeared from markets across the southern region, with traders reporting that most of the catch now weighs between 200 and 400 grammes.

Despite being more than a century old, the main building of Barishal General Hospital has remained incomplete for four years, forcing patients to receive treatment in cramped tin-shed rooms.

This year, fishermen have been returning with lesser catches and bigger losses.

A significant number of roads within Bhola municipality, including several vital ones, are in a dilapidated state, causing immense suffering to locals.