Sushanta Ghosh

River canals in the southern region of Bangladesh are packed with vendors that have seemingly built their dreams around the production of hog plums, locally known as ‘amra’.

While fishing out hilsa from the sweet river waters have become a rather rare scene, several fishing boats, loaded with the Bengali delicacy, are returning from the sea to several ghats in Barishal.

With the guava season now in full swing, farmers and traders in southern Bangladesh are busy harvesting and selling the fruit from various orchards in the region.

The traffic on the road was quite light and the bus was moving at a speed of 40 to 50mph. It was meant to be a regular morning ride from Bhandaria to Barishal.

The massive fire that broke out in the Sagar Nandini-2 oil tanker in Jhalakathi’s Sugandha river on Monday evening was doused yesterday morning after an 11-hour-long frantic effort.

Incumbent Barishal Mayor Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah is losing all his grip over the city after a new mayor was elected last week.

Voter turnout was as low as 36 percent in neighbourhoods known as strongholds of incumbent Barishal Mayor Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah in Monday’s polls to the Barishal City Corporation, according to centre-wise voting results.

Ruling Awami League activists allegedly assaulted Islami Andolan Bangladesh mayor nominee Mufti Syed Faizul Karim and some of his supporters, and police BGB men used batons to disperse his followers during yesterday’s Barishal City Corporation election.

Election campaign in Barishal City Corporation ended yesterday with Awami League mayor nominee Abul Khair Abdullah promising to complete the unfinished development initiatives.

Barishal is currently immersed in a state of tension and unease as the scheduled city corporation election, set to take place on June 12, draws near. The atmosphere in the city has become increasingly volatile, prompting concerns among both residents and authorities about safety and security.

With only two days until Barishal city goes to polls, the division in the ruling Awami League is still the talk of the town.

The Election Commission started installing CCTV cameras at each polling station and secret ballot booth in preparation for the upcoming Barishal City Corporation elections.

As BNP, a party with a substantial voter base, is not participating in the upcoming Barishal City Corporation election, a pertinent question arises surrounding which candidate will get the support of the BNP loyalists.

The literacy rate and compliance with income taxes among the candidates of the Barishal city polls have increased, which is a positive sign, according to Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (Shujan).

The ongoing conflict between Abul Khair Abdullah, the Awami League mayoral candidate, and his nephew, incumbent mayor Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah, has reached new heights ahead of the upcoming Barishal City Corporation election on June 12.

The recent photograph of Abul Hasnat Abdulalh hugging his younger brother Abul Khair Abdullah brought some relief to the grassroot Awami League leaders and activists of Barishal as they thought it was an indication of them uniting ahead of the city polls.

Awami League central leaders’ bid to get the current Barishal mayor’s men to join the campaign trail of the party’s mayor nominee Abul Khair Abdullah is not delivering the desired outcome.

To resolve the conflict between Awami League mayoral candidate Abul Khair Abdullah and the incumbent mayor Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah, Awami League is actively engaging its different branches.

No resolution was reached in a highly anticipated meeting aimed at resolving the conflict between Abul Khair Abdullah and his nephew Serniabat Sadiq Abdullah ahead of the Barishal city polls. The meeting, which took place yesterday evening, concluded without the presence of either Khair or Sadiq, leaving AL leaders and activists in Barishal disappointed and uncertain about the future.

At least 88 out of the total 126 polling centres have been identified as “highly important” for the upcoming Barishal City Corporation (BCC) election scheduled on June 12.