United News of Bangladesh

Farmers in Faridpur are expecting a good harvest of quality jute this season, but rising production costs and uncertainty over market prices have raised concerns about whether they will be able to make a reasonable profit. Faridpur is one of Bangladesh’s major jute-producing districts, and this year farmers have cultivated the crop on more land than the target set by the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE). Favourable weather, adequate rainfall and sufficient water in canals and beels during the harvesting period have contributed to good yields and improved colour and quality of the golden fibre, according to the DAE. It expects around 196,000 tonnes of jute to be produced in the district this season. Jute is currently selling for Tk 4,000 to Tk 4,200 per maund at markets, including Kanaipur, Nalermor, Talma, Kadirdi, Satoir and Boroga, depending on its variety and quality. At the current market price, the total value of this season’s jute could exceed Tk 2,000 crore, according to the DAE. But farmers say the rising cost of fertiliser, seed, labour and other inputs has made it increasingly difficult for them to earn a reasonable return. According to DAE sources, the target for jute cultivation in Faridpur this season was 87,328 hectares. However, farmers cultivated the crop on around 87,400 hectares – about 72 hectares more than the target. Faridpur DAE Deputy Director Md Shahaduzzaman said the weather had been particularly favourable for jute cultivation this year. “Especially during the harvesting period, there was sufficient water in the canals and beels, which helped ensure good colour and quality of the fibre,” he said, adding that they expect around 196,000 tonnes of jute to be produced in Faridpur this season. However, the good harvest has not completely eased farmers’ concerns.

For fish lovers in Chandpur, the wait for affordable hilsa appears to be ending. After months of relatively low supplies, the arrival of hilsa at the city’s century-old Boro Station fish landing centre has increased sharply in recent days, pushing prices down and bringing renewed activity to the bustling riverside market. Fish traders said only around 50 to 70 maunds of hilsa used to arrive at the landing centre each day over the past four months but supplies have now risen to around 200-250 maunds a day. As a result, prices have fallen by around Tk 400 a kg in just three days, traders said. A 1-kg hilsa that sold for Tk 2,900-3,000 three days ago is now selling for around Tk 2,500 at the landing centre. At Biponi Bag, one of the city’s busiest kitchen markets, the same size fish is selling for around Tk 2,600. Similar prices were seen at Wireless Bazar, Naya Bazar and Purana Bazar. Hilsa weighing 800-900 grams is selling for around Tk 2,000 a kg, down from Tk 2,500, while 500-gram fish is available for Tk 1,400-1,500, compared with Tk 1,800-1,900 earlier. Traders said the fish are fresh hilsa caught in the Padma River. The scene at Boro Station reflected the changing market.  Workers were busy unloading, sorting, weighing and packing fish as buyers moved between stalls looking for the best catch. A 2-kg hilsa, locally known as raja ilish, fetched Tk 4,500 a kg, with the fish selling for Tk 9,000 in total. Hilsa researcher Dr Anisur Rahman said the fish is now entering the peak phase of its season. “Hilsa catches have increased since August 28, partly due to the effect of the new moon,” he said. He expects supplies to remain strong through October, when fishermen are likely to find more hilsa in the rivers. Shabeborat Sarker, general secretary of the Chandpur Fish Traders’ Association, said supplies has increased substantially over the past few days. “On average, 200 to 250 maunds of hilsa are now arriving at the landing centre every day. Today, around 350 maunds arrived,” he said. With the peak season underway, he expects prices to fall further if supplies continue to rise. The increased arrivals have also brought more work for day labourers at the landing centre. Workers Al Amin, Mofiz and Anwar Hossain said they are busier than they were in recent months.  The sound of ice-crushing machines has also grown louder as large quantities of fish are packed in ice before being transported by truck to different districts. The lower prices have drawn buyers from both Chandpur and beyond. Zahirul Alam, assistant headteacher of Santoshpur High School in Faridganj, bought fresh hilsa with Saifur Rahman Jibon, a young man from Noakhali, and his elder sister and younger brother. “We got fresh hilsa at a reasonable price,” they said. The business beyond the fish But hilsa is not the only commodity generating business at the landing centre. In a room beside the fish market, workers were seen removing roe from rejected hilsa and processing it for sale. Foysaluzzaman and Mintu Howlader were among those involved in the work. A packet typically contains one kilogram of hilsa roe and sells for around Tk 3,500, the workers said. Roe from larger hilsa can fetch Tk 5,000-5,500 a kg. The demand remains strong, they said, with processed roe also being sent to Chattogram. The value of hilsa roe has risen considerably in recent years. Three or four years ago, it sold for around Tk 1,200-1,500 a kg, traders said. Some of the fish also undergo another traditional form of processing. After the roe is removed, shallow cuts are made along the body of the fish and salt is rubbed into them. The fish is then mixed with turmeric and dried. Known locally as kata ilish, the salted fish sells for around Tk 1,200-1,300 a kg. Traders said the product is particularly popular in northern districts including Manikganj, Tangail, Jamalpur, Kishoreganj and Netrokona, where many consumers prefer its salty, preserved flavour. A hub with a century of history Boro Station is the largest fish landing centre in Chandpur and one of the district’s oldest trading hubs. According to traders, around 150 businessmen are involved in hilsa and other fish trading there, while about 350 day labourers depend on the landing centre for work. For the moment, the increased supply has brought a rare combination of benefits: lower prices for consumers, more work for labourers and greater business for traders. And if the river continues to yield hilsa through the peak season, shoppers may see even lower prices in the weeks ahead. Hilsa catch declines as climate pressures intensify Bangladesh’s hilsa catch is showing a worrying downward trend, with fishermen and researchers pointing to rising temperatures, erratic rainfall and changes in river flows as growing threats to the fish’s breeding and migration patterns. Even during the peak hilsa season, fishermen in different parts of the country say they are finding significantly fewer fish in rivers than in previous years. The decline is raising concerns over the future supply of Bangladesh’s national fish, a GI-certified product and a crucial source of livelihood for thousands of fishing families. According to the latest data from the Department of Fisheries, hilsa production fell to 512,000 metric tonnes in fiscal year 2024-25, from 529,000 tonnes in 2023-24 and 571,000 tonnes in 2022-23. The continued decline has prompted researchers to warn that climate change, coupled with changes in river flows and degradation of breeding grounds, could further undermine hilsa production unless effective adaptation and river-management measures are taken.

When 12-year-old Mostakim Hossain drowned in the Padma River his family had little choice but to wait. Local rescuers searched for the madrasa student after he went missing while playing football with friends at Bhagjot Ghat in Kushtia’s Daulatpur upazila on August 28. But the district had no trained fire service divers of its own. Instead, the family had to wait for a specialist team to travel nearly 150km from Khulna. By the time the divers arrived several hours passed. Mostakim’s body was eventually recovered from the river the following morning. For his mother, Sheuli Khatun, the wait was agonising. “My son drowned while playing with his friends on a holiday. We still could not find him. We had to wait for people to come from Khulna before the search could begin,” she said. The case highlights a persistent problem in Kushtia, a riverine district where several major waterways run through communities but where the fire service has no dedicated trained diving team.

For millions living in Bangladesh’s villages, development is often measured in simple, everyday terms-whether a road remains usable during the monsoon, whether a farmer can take produce to market on time, whether safe drinking water is available nearby, or whether a young person can find work without leaving home. The government’s development priorities for the next fiscal year appear to be built around precisely these concerns. Rural connectivity, climate-resilient infrastructure, employment generation, poverty reduction and financial inclusion have been placed at the centre of development programmes for fiscal year 2026-27, according to the budget document. The stated goal goes beyond building roads and bridges. The government wants to make rural communities more self-reliant by combining physical infrastructure with jobs, entrepreneurship, access to finance, digital services and skills development. According to the budget document, the government has undertaken programmes to improve connectivity and strengthen disaster resilience through the development of rural roads, bridges, growth centres and cyclone shelters. Construction and maintenance of rural roads, bridges and culverts are playing a vital role in strengthening the rural economy and market systems, it said. The government will also strengthen activities through local government institutions to ensure safe drinking water supply, universal sanitation coverage, reduce waterlogging and promote environmentally sustainable water management. Ahead of the monsoon season, canal re-excavation, drain rehabilitation and improvements to drainage systems have been intensified to mitigate waterlogging in city corporations and municipalities. Initiatives are also being taken to improve urban roads and drainage systems, restore canals and introduce modern waste management systems to improve the quality of urban life, according to the document. To achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), relevant government agencies are implementing coordinated programmes covering infrastructure, water supply and sanitation. Through the development of rural roads and market infrastructure, alongside climate-resilient infrastructure, nearly 93 percent of the rural population currently has access to all-weather roads throughout the year. The government plans to gradually raise the coverage to 100 percent. Measures are also being taken to reduce dependence on groundwater by increasing the use of surface water and establishing water treatment plants to ensure universal access to safe water. In line with the government’s electoral commitments, various programmes will be implemented through the local government system to generate employment, alleviate poverty and strengthen good governance. Digitalisation of services provided by Union Parishads, Upazila Parishads and local administration has also been expanded. The government is strengthening social protection measures and efforts to prevent child marriage through improved birth and death registration services, while steps are being taken to address existing challenges in these areas. “Most of the current government’s development plans for the next five years are centred on rural Bangladesh,” the budget document said, noting that the majority of the country’s population lives in villages. The government aims to make rural communities self-reliant by implementing an integrated action plan for FY2026-27 and the medium term. The plan includes poverty alleviation and employment generation, promotion of women entrepreneurship, expansion of financial inclusion and enhancement of the skills of small and marginal farmers, women and youth. Training, research and advisory services are being expanded through the Rural Development Academy. Programmes are also being implemented in 200 upazilas to develop women’s skills and create women entrepreneurs, while cooperatives are being used to promote sustainable financial inclusion among marginalised communities. The government is also facilitating easier access to credit, reforming microcredit and women entrepreneur loan schemes, and providing collateral-free loans to expand self-employment, income generation and agro-processing activities among marginal farmers and women. To achieve the SDGs and implement the Electoral Manifesto 2026, priority has been given to good governance, entrepreneurship development, agriculture and food security, climate-resilient development and inclusive growth in the rural development and cooperative sector. The government is also taking steps to accelerate inclusive and sustainable growth through expanded digital services, greater financial inclusion for small and marginal farmers, tree plantation, environmental conservation and skill development initiatives for women and youth. Cooperative-based activities are also being strengthened to expand employment and self-employment opportunities in rural areas, the document added.

By day, the banks of the Padma River near Sadipur Boat Ghat in Kumarkhali appear almost deserted, with stacks of old batteries hidden under green tarpaulins. But after dark, the scenario changes. Workers gather at an illegal battery recycling plant in the brick kiln area of Delwar Hossain in Charsadipur Union. Hundreds of old lead-acid batteries are dismantled there, while coal and wood are burnt to extract lead, releasing toxic smoke into the surrounding air. The plant, located on the northern bank of the Padma in Kushtia, has reportedly been operating for around one and a half months.Workers, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said a man named Monir Hossain from Pabna owns the plant. They said he has been running the operation with the help of local influential people.

The drug trade has spread across Khulna city, with drug sales reportedly taking place in all 31 wards from evening until late at night, according to a report of the Department of Narcotics Control (DNC). The DNC has identified 272 people allegedly involved in drug trading in the city and listed 117 drug-selling hotspots. The list has been sent to the Prime Minister’s Office, seeking necessary directives to curb the illegal trade. According to the DNC report, drug smugglers bring Phensedyl and Yaba from Satkhira and Jashore by road and rail. The drugs allegedly enter the city in cargo vehicles through Pather Bazar and Zero Point. Commuter trains from Benapole are also allegedly being used to transport drug consignments, with traders getting off at Daulatpur and Khulna railway stations, it said. The report identified 117 drug hotspots across the city, including Tutpara, Gachhtala, Mohirbari Khalpar, Greenland slum, Joragate, Hospital Road, Nirala Residential Area, Sonadanga bus terminal, Labanchhara, Zero Point, Kaiya Bazar, Islamnagar, Khulna University campus, Giletala, KUET Road, Daulatpur, Khalishpur, Boyra Bazar, Baikali Bazar, Customs Ghat and Maheshwarpasha Kalibari. An official holding the rank of deputy director at the DNC also sent a copy of the list to the Ministry of Home Affairs. The report said the hotspots were identified based on information from three intelligence agencies. The report alleged that before the political changeover in 2024, some senior leaders of the Sramik League and banned Bangladesh Chhatra League had directly or indirectly been involved in the drug trade. It further alleged that some political and student leaders had invested money to encourage drug sellers and collected monthly payments in exchange for allowing drug sales in specific areas. The drugs included cannabis, Phensedyl, Yaba and codeine phosphate, according to the report. It said drug transactions worth around Tk 400,000 took place in the city every day at the time. The report also said the people controlling the drug trade changed following the political transition. Meanwhile, in a meeting of the law-and-order committee last month, Khulna General Hospital Superintendent Dr Rafiqul Islam Gazi said 137 people underwent dope tests during the month when eight of tested positive for drugs. Most of those who tested positive were users of morphine and cannabis, he said. Additional Deputy Commissioner (South) of Khulna Metropolitan Police Amit Kumer Bormon said police conduct drives every day to make the city free of drugs. He said drug dealers were on the run but remained under pressure, adding that Yaba is in particularly high demand among drug users in the city.    

Dhaka Medical College, the country’s oldest medical education institution, is set for a major facelift as the government has taken up a Tk 1,154.83 crore project to replace its ageing and unsafe structures with modern academic, residential and support facilities. The project, titled “Replacement and Reconstruction of Unusable Structures of Dhaka Medical College”, will be implemented by the Directorate General of Medical Education under the Health Education and Family Welfare Division of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The fully government-funded scheme will be implemented over four years from September 2026 to August 2030, according to project document.. The project seeks to address the longstanding infrastructure problems of Dhaka Medical College including old, earthquake-prone, weak and risky buildings while ensuring that ongoing academic activities are not disrupted during reconstruction. Established in 1946, Dhaka Medical College is the country’s first and one of its most prominent medical education institutions. The institution currently has around 60 buildings, old and new, while its hospital has capacity for around 2,600 beds. Despite that capacity, an average of around 3,500 to 4,000 patients are admitted to the hospital every day, placing considerable pressure on its existing infrastructure, according to the project document. Around 1,500 students are currently studying at the college at MBBS and postgraduate levels. The institution has four residential halls for students, but several of the existing facilities have become old and inadequate. The Dr Fazle Rabbi Hall, built in 1955 for male students, has accommodation for around 700 students. However, the ageing condition of the building has reduced its usable capacity. The Public Works Department has already declared the fourth floor of the main building abandoned, forcing students to live in a reduced space and creating accommodation problems, particularly for new batches. The project document says the existing academic buildings and hostels have become unsuitable for repair and increasingly risky, making replacement and modernisation necessary. Under the project, a 15-storey academic building with three basements will be constructed over 86,854.33 square metres. It will have four lecture theatres, each with a capacity of 300 students, and two examination halls, each also accommodating 300 students. A 15-storey student hostel with one basement will be constructed over 25,863.48 square metres, providing accommodation for around 800 students. A 15-storey residential quarters building with two basements, covering 20,601.08 square metres, will also be built to address accommodation needs of teachers and officials. The project also includes construction of a four-storey service building covering 1,277.41 square metres and a four-storey mosque covering 2,225.01 square metres, with space for around 800 worshippers. The government plans to make the renovated campus more environmentally sustainable by incorporating solar energy, rainwater conservation, efficient use of water and electricity, green spaces and modern waste management. According to the project document, residential buildings, including the student hostel and residential quarters, will account for around Tk 299.76 crore. Construction of non-residential buildings and related infrastructure has been estimated at around Tk 577.04 crore. The project also includes around Tk 15.10 crore for external health, sanitation and water supply facilities, Tk 118.26 crore for external electrification and electrical equipment, Tk 35.67 crore for furniture for the medical college, hostel and other facilities, and Tk 28.09 crore for equipment for the medical college. The project was initiated following a meeting chaired by the Director General of the Directorate General of Medical Education on February 3, 2025, where the deteriorating condition of the college’s infrastructure was discussed. Following the meeting, the Directorate of Architecture was instructed to prepare a comprehensive master plan incorporating modern facilities required for education, research and creative activities, including academic buildings, student hostels, lecture theatres, examination halls, prayer facilities and an auditorium. Subsequently, the Public Works Department was instructed to assess the costs of essential buildings in line with the master plan and prepare a Development Project Proposal (DPP). The DPP was eventually prepared based on the approved master plan, incorporating a new academic building, student hostel, residential quarters, mosque, service building and other essential facilities. The project document says the reconstruction is necessary not only to eliminate safety risks but also to strengthen the institutional environment of one of the country’s leading medical education centres. The government expects the new infrastructure to provide students and teachers with safer and more modern facilities, improve the quality of medical education and research, and help transform Dhaka Medical College into a sustainable and environmentally friendly campus.

After the July mass uprising in 2024, the election for Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) was another significant demand for the students of Dhaka University as the official student body was ineffective for the last many years. Students thought, if DUCSU becomes effective, then their demands will meet reality and the persisting crisis will be solved.  However, even after getting an elected DUCSU committee through an exciting and hard-fought election in September 2025, the university still remains plagued with many of its old problems including accommodation crisis, unhealthy  and tasteless food in canteens, and a lack of comprehensive security on campus. In the election held last September, an Islami Chhatra Shibir-backed panel caused a storm by winning 25 out of 28 posts up for grabs - an unprecedented mandate for the student wing of the Jamaat e Islami. The panel presented a comprehensive manifesto before the election including a safe campus for female students, solutions to the accommodation crisis, and ensuring healthy food and many others.  However, many students are saying now that the panel failed to fulfill their promises. Each of the three major crises still persist at the university.   Recently, rubber band, earthworm, cockroach, blade and insects have been found in food served in various halls’ canteens in the university. The students are saying that consuming such poor quality food not only makes them sick but also puts them at risk of long-term malnutrition.  Though the head of canteens at the university blamed inflation as the cause of these occurrences, according to the students, poor service, lack of proper supervision and lack of accountability are the main reasons.  Visits to the different canteens by UNB’s campus correspondent revealed that the cooking environment is damp and unhygienic in almost all of the hall canteens. Besides, low quality ingredients are purchased and tasting salt is used in curry - a practice that is frowned upon.  The elected DUCSU panel promised to ensure safe and healthy food, introduce low-cost nutritious menus in halls and cafeterias under the supervision of nutritionists and conduct food quality checks every three months, as well as establishing quality cafeterias and canteens in every hall and introducing ‘Meal Vouchers’ provided by the administration for financially struggling students. Yet, these promises have not been fully met. Although the hall unions often monitor the canteens, the food crisis is a burning issue in the campus. Noby Hossain Majumdar, a resident student of Surja Sen Hall said, “Despite DUCSU’s commitments to ensure safe and healthy food for students, the situation in the hall canteens remains largely unchanged. The food served in the hall canteens is often of such poor quality that students have little choice but to eat it because of limited affordable alternatives. We have repeatedly found insects and other unhygienic materials in our meals.” Accommodation crisis The panel led by Shadik Kayem and S.M. Forhad, who revealed themselves as the leaders of Shibir’s clandestine organisation at DU following the July Uprising of 2024, pledged to initiate the construction of new halls as part of a permanent, long-term solution to the students’ accommodation crisis. In the short term, they planned to arrange hostels or monthly housing allowances in coordination with the university and private institutions. In reality, they’ve been able to do neither.  Currently, more than 53 percent of Dhaka University students are deprived of resident status. Furthermore, the accommodation crisis is more acute in the female halls. There are just five halls for female students, even as female students outnumber their male counterparts in recent years. A first-year student attached to Rokeya Hall, Rokhaiya Rakhi, said, “It has been four months since our academic activities started. Still, I have not been allotted a seat. That’s why I have to stay in my relative’s house in Uttara Sector 18 and it is costly and time consuming to commute from there to the campus. It’s also difficult to concentrate on academics while staying at someone else’s house for so long.” Earlier, a group of students had protested, held human chains, and submitted memorandums to the university authority demanding the resolution of the accommodation issue, while seeking monthly housing allowances for a temporary solution. DUCSU was vocal regarding these issues also. But the demands are yet to be met. Female students’ safety and security The Shibir-backed panel’s manifesto for the DUCSU election mentioned that a safe campus would be ensured for the female students. And in fact, the panel’s landslide in the elections was driven to a large extent by a huge swing towards it in female votes. Women, it was said, felt voting for the Shibir-backed panel would be a vote for a secure campus.  This too has failed to materialise, as the female students still face various problems on campus. Nishat Anjum Fima, a student from Shamsun Nahar Hall, said the DUCSU committee has been taking some initiatives, but these can't be said to be entirely fruitful. Some initiatives like establishing separate 'female zones' on campus failed to make students feel safe - they rather saw it as part of a hidden agenda, or shying away from the problem rather than confronting it. According to Fima, a female student’s sense of security depends on whether she feels she can move safely around campus, whether she can rely on getting prompt justice if harassed, apart from availing her basic rights. . Fima said, “Can it be considered as actual security when it shrinks the freedom of movement for the female students in the name of security? Besides, sufficient and safe toilets in campus, healthy environment for female students and effective measures against sexual harassment allegations are important.” “It is a matter of disappointment to me that after assuring female safety, in many cases, restrictions are imposed on females rather than solving the main problems. A safe campus should be where a female student is not forced to compromise her free movement to be safe,” she added. According to her, the DUCSU leadership was sincere in trying to achieve this goal, but they fell short. They could not convert their promises into real transformational outcomes. Lesser promises unmet Before the election, the Shibir-backed panel had also pledged to take measures to prevent sound pollution on campus, introduce a staff training system, control outsiders’ access to the campus and to implement a more effective teacher evaluation system. Most students UNB spoke to for this story said they are no closer to any of these pledges being met today than they were a year ago.  ‘Administrative noncooperation stalled DUCSU initiatives’ Against these complaints, DUCSU leaders claim that although they had prepared and arranged funding for several projects aimed at addressing students’ various problems, those initiatives could not be implemented due to the university administration’s lack of cooperation. They have alleged that the administration failed to cooperate on initiatives to ensure the safety of female students, addressing accommodation issues, controlling outsiders on campus, introducing a teacher evaluation system and ensuring food quality. Regarding the safety of female students, DUCSU General Secretary (GS) S. M. Farhad said they had considered campus security as a comprehensive issue. To that end, they developed an integrated security model that included regulating campus vehicles, introducing a fixed fare chart, preparing a list of rickshaws and specifying uniforms for drivers. The proposal was discussed with the administration in several phases. According to Farhad, all preparations had been completed around seven months ago, but the project was stalled for unknown reasons. “We also discussed the issue with relevant officials of the interim government, and a decision was reached to provide at least 100 Ansar personnel and the necessary number of police members for DU. But after the change of government, there has been no further progress on that plan. The list of rickshaws was prepared, drivers were interviewed, and the fare chart and uniforms were finalized. Despite everything being ready, the initiative could not be launched due to a lack of administrative cooperation,” Farhad said. He claimed the initiative, if implemented, would have significantly improved campus security by bringing outsiders and vehicles under greater control. DUCSU also undertook a separate project to improve security inside the female residential halls. Its proposal was to install digital entry-exit gates in each hall. Under the system, residential students, relevant staff members and designated individuals would be allowed to enter easily, while others would require permission from the provost. When the university informed DUCSU about a shortage of funds, the student body arranged sponsors for the project as well. A meeting attended by the provosts of the five female residential halls and the then pro-vice-chancellor decided to implement the project, and a written resolution was also adopted. However, the initiative was later abandoned due to a lack of interest from the provosts. Farhad said, “If this digital entry-exit system had been introduced, many of the existing restrictions on the timing of female students’ entry into and exit from the halls could also have been reduced significantly. Students would have been able to enter their halls safely 24 hours.” DUCSU has also accused the administration of delaying the implementation of a teacher evaluation system. According to DUCSU, the final questionnaire was then approved by the Academic Council and sent to the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Academic) for implementation. However, after the appointment of a new pro-vice-chancellor, letters were sent to the departments again seeking their opinions, further prolonging the entire process. The DUCSU GS said, “It was supposed to be implemented another month ago. Even after being finalized by the Academic Council, it has now been sent back to the departments again.” DUCSU has raised a similar complaint over food quality. Concerned about the poor quality of food served at halls and campus canteens, it proposed regular food testing in cooperation with the food safety authorities and quality assessments by nutritionists. DUCSU claimed that it had sought permission to conduct regular testing at every canteen even through its own funding, but the administration did not approve that proposal either. Later, at a meeting with the university administration, a commitment was made to form a food safety team within one month, but the initiative was not implemented even after the deadline. Even after securing an allocation of Tk 2 crore for the Central Field, work has not begun. To address the accommodation crisis, a major Tk 2,841 crore project was approved after prolonged efforts and was eventually inaugurated, but it was later delayed following a decision by the new administration. If implemented, the project could have reduced a major portion of the university’s accommodation crisis within the next few years, is the view of the DUCSU committee. Farhad said, “It is the administration’s responsibility to cooperate with us, and it is our responsibility to cooperate with the administration. The target should be to work for the welfare of the students. But we did not get that cooperation - we have been facing challenges at every step.”  He alleged that, in many cases, instead of extending spontaneous cooperation to the projects undertaken for students, the administration was creating obstacles to their implementation. “Their project seems to be to let DUCSU fail. Whether the students’ welfare is served or not does not seem to be the concern for them,” he added.

Over 5,000 government officials and employees working in Cumilla city have been deprived of the additional house rent allowance available to their counterparts in other designated city areas for years, leaving them facing a long-standing disparity in pay and benefits. The disparity has also raised concerns over income tax, as officials and employees working in the city say they are required to pay additional income tax applicable to employees in city areas despite not receiving the corresponding higher house rent allowance. Seeking an end to the disparity, Cumilla City Corporation Administrator Md Yousuf Mollah has appealed to the Ministry of Finance to recognise Cumilla as an expensive city and extend the additional house rent benefits to employees of government, semi-government and autonomous organisations operating there. He made the appeal in a letter to the finance minister on July 12 last. Later, Cumilla Sadar MP Md Manirul Haque Chowdhury sent a demi-official (DO) letter to the finance secretary on August 11, urging action to address the disparity. In his letter, Yousuf Mollah said Cumilla is strategically located between Dhaka and Chattogram and has seen significant growth in trade and commerce. He said Cumilla is also among the leading districts in the country in terms of remittance inflows, while its cost of living and standard of living are now comparable to those of Dhaka’s city areas. Expensive residential and commercial buildings have also been constructed in the city, and the overall cost of living has increased significantly, the administrator said. He said letters had previously been sent to the relevant authorities seeking recognition of Cumilla as an expensive city. Yousuf Mollah pointed out that additional benefits are being provided to government employees working in several other city areas that were designated later, while employees in Cumilla continue to be deprived of the same facilities. He urged the government to include Cumilla among the expensive cities and provide additional house rent to government, semi-government and autonomous organisation employees working there. Officials and employees of the district administration, district council, city corporation, court, police, education board and other government offices, speaking on condition of anonymity, said around 70 government, semi-government and autonomous offices operate in Cumilla city, where more than 5,000 officials and employees work. Despite not receiving the additional house rent allowance, they said they are still required to pay the additional income tax applicable to employees working in city areas. “If Cumilla is recognised as an expensive city, thousands of officials and employees will benefit from the additional house rent allowance,” an official said. Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Md Saiful Islam said there are around 70 government offices in Cumilla city, employing more than 5,000 officials and employees. “Cumilla is an expensive city, but the additional house rent applicable to city areas has not been included here. If officials and employees receive the additional allowance, it will encourage them,” he said. Yousuf Mollah said Cumilla City Corporation was established in 2011, while the current national pay scale was introduced in 2015. “Under the pay scale, city corporations across the country and Savar municipality have been brought under the scope of additional house rent and other facilities, but employees working in the Cumilla City Corporation area have been deprived of these benefits,” he said. “I have sent a letter to the Ministry of Finance to resolve the issue. I have also pursued the matter through Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock Minister Mohammed Aminur Rashid,” he added.

Jute farmers in Lalmonirhat are facing a difficult season as lower-than-expected yields and uncertainty over market prices raise fears of further losses. Farmers fear that unless they receive a fair price that covers their production costs, many of them may lose interest in cultivating the “golden fibre” next year after suffering losses in recent seasons. Jute has been cultivated this year in the char areas and villages of Aditmari, Kaliganj, Hatibandha, Patgram and Sadar upazilas of the district. Farmers have shown particular interest in cultivating jute on unused and flood-prone land along the Teesta, Dharla and Saniajan rivers, as well as on some higher lands. Many have also planted jute on land where rice and other crops do not grow well. However, their hopes for a good harvest have been dampened by adverse weather, waterlogging and disease, while uncertainty over market prices remains a major concern.