Mintu Deshwara

Binota, a symbol of resilience, empowerment

From the humble confines of a mud wall house, where economic struggles cast their long shadows, emerges a woman who defies all odds and shatters gender norms.

2w ago

Low yield frustrates Moulvibazar litchi growers

Litchi growers in Moulvibazar fear a low production of the juicy summer fruit this year due to unfavourable weather condition during the peak time of flowering.

2w ago

Construction work goes on at snail’s pace

Construction work of Moulvibazar 132/33 KV Grid Substation sees very slow progress, much to the inconvenience of the consumers.

2w ago

400 acres land remain uncultivated

Around 400 acres of farmland in Moulvibazar’s two upazilas remain uncultivated every year for lack of a sluice gate in the Lachgang river in Kawadighi Haor area.

3w ago

Indecision over site selection delays construction work

Indecision over selecting the right location has been delaying the construction work of Moulvibazar’s Kulaura Upazila Central Shaheed Minar.

3w ago

Extreme heat hampering tea production

Tea farmers in Bangladesh are concerned about seeing lower yields this year as much of their trees have been afflicted by various diseases and pests amid the ongoing heatwave and insufficient rain.

3w ago

‘Choshma Pora Hanuman’

The lush forests of Moulvibazar in Bangladesh are home to a variety of wildlife, including the rare and endangered Phayre’s Leaf Monkey.

A village known for its bitter gourd

The Parer Tong village in Ashidron union under Sreemangal upazila of Moulvibazar is widely known as Korola’r Gram, or bitter gourd village, by vegetable wholesalers and traders all over Bangladesh.

Equal wage still elusive

Hundreds of temporary tea workers in the country are suffering due to a poor pay structure. Many of them are paid around 30 to 50 percent lower wages than permanent workers.

Farmland fertility under threat

The topsoil of agricultural land is being sold to brick kilns in Kulaura upazila of Moulvibazar, causing damage to the fertility of earth and subsequent less production of crops.

Goodwill to save the misunderstood cats

With an olive-grey coat decorated with black spots and stripes, fishing cats have fascinated wildlife enthusiasts for a long time.

The bridge that has not been crossed

Thousands of people from seven villages have been suffering as a concrete bridge remains without approach roads in Kaerchak area of Kulaura upazila in Moulvibazar district for three years.

Sreemangal crying for tourists

While hotel, resorts, and restaurants in Moulvibazar’s Sreemangal were fully prepared to welcome travellers during this Eid vacation, only a few visitors have confirmed their bookings

Kuakata eyeing huge turnout this Eid

While tourism related businesses in Kuakata of Patuakhali are expecting an onrush of travellers amid the ongoing Eid holiday, those in Sreemangal upazila of Moulvibazar have been left disappointed by the low number of advance bookings.

Monipuri weavers see huge sales ahead of Eid

Weavers of traditional Monipuri-style clothing in greater Sylhet passed busy days ahead of the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr as sales and prices have been good amid the ongoing festive season, which contributes most of their annual earnings.

A little rain, a whole lot of pain

When it rains a little, almost all the roads in Moulvibazar’s Kulaura Municipality get flooded. On top of that, the road towards the railway station through Dakshinbazar gets inundated, causing locals to suffer.

Reviving Moulvibazar’s ‘dead canal’

The Gogalichara canal in Kulaura municipality of Moulvibazar, the only means to drain water, has been a victim of filling and encroachment for many years. As a result, even a little rain causes waterlogging on the roads in the area, creating public nuisance.

A menace for people of 30 haor villages

Boats are the only means of transportation for people of several villages in Kauadighi Haor, one of the largest haors of Moulvibazar, during monsoon. But, due to the construction of an unplanned box culvert, people of at least 30 villages in the haor, under Sadar and Rajnagar upazilas, are facing untold suffering and damage to their crops.

Sutang in death grip

The Sutang river, which was a blessing of nature for the people surrounding it, has now become a curse due to extreme pollution.

Cassava cultivation catching on in hilly areas

Cassava, known as shimul alu in Bangladesh, is a root vegetable widely consumed in many countries across the globe for its dietary benefits, which include healthy carbohydrates and vitamin C.

Khowai: a river or dumpster?

Abdus Salek, a 62-year-old resident of Habiganj town’s Khowai Mukh area, used to spend his childhood fishing in the Khowai river. However, he no longer visits its banks as it has now turned into a dumping ground for household and commercial waste.

Finding joy, unity amid struggle

In the heart of the green Fulchhara tea garden, the air was filled with a riot of colours and joy as thousands of tea workers gathered to celebrate the Fagua festival yesterday. It was a rare moment of respite from their otherwise arduous and monotonous lives.

Speed limit 20km, only on paper

All trains running through the Lawachara National Park in Moulvibazar have been instructed to run at a maximum speed of 20 kilometres per hour to ensure the safety of the wildlife in the area.

Tea workers demand Tk 30,000 in arrears, get Tk 11,000 instead

The tea workers demanded Tk 30,000 in arrears for 20 months in line with the hiked wages that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina asked tea garden owners to pay in August last year

Below this institute lies a torture cell

The year was 1971. Odoitto Sen Odhikary was just a tenth-grader preparing for his board exams.

A new hope for Manipuri script

Moulvibazar district has one of the largest Manipuri communities in the country. While everyone in the community can speak Manipuri, the language’s script and alphabet were at risk of extinction.

Habiganj’s lifeline ceasing to exist

There was a time when the Jujnal river used to be the lifeline of Habiganj. Boats used to ply the river with goods and passengers, facilitating agriculture, trade and communication simultaneously.

World Leprosy Day: Tea workers worst-affected

Tea garden workers in the country’s northeastern region are at high risk of developing leprosy due to their unhygienic living conditions, malnutrition and lack of awareness.

Tea garden at cost of trees, animals and hills

A tea estate in Habiganj has completely cleared their leased land by setting it ablaze and cutting down the trees, much to the dismay of environmentalists and wildlife activists.

People suffer as LGED, WDB trade blame

A total of six bridges built on Fanai river, flowing through the southern part of Moulvibazar’s Kulaura upazila, have either collapsed or partially broken down allegedly due to unplanned dredging of the river.

Removal of Topsoil: Traders ruining Habiganj cropland

Cutting, selling and using topsoil from cropland for different purposes is going on unabated at many places in Habiganj’s Nabiganj upazila, defying laws.

Tea estate ignites wildfire, kills scores of animals

Hatimara Tea Garden took lease of a land near Rema-Kalenga Wildlife Sanctuary in Habiganj’s Chunarughat upazila some years ago. The place was a safe habitat for wildlife and hosted century-old trees... up until January 19, 2023.

Destroying bird habitat for a tea garden

The state-owned National Tea Company took the lease of Moulvibazar’s Kurma Chonkhul area a long time ago. The place, surrounded by trees and bushes, serves as the sole breeding ground for the rare Golden Headed Cisticola, locally known as “Munia” in Bangladesh, and many other endangered species.

Protecting 3 Moulvibazar upazilas from flood: Tk 996cr project in limbo

In 2021, Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) approved a mega project worth Tk 996.30 crore in 2021 to permanently free three upazilas of Moulvibazar from flood.

Row over payment mode stalls water-supply project

On June 30, the Directorate of Public Health Engineering finished building a water-supply centre in Habiganj at a cost of Tk 9.29 crore.

Three-wheeler stand on Shaheed Minar premises!

Some 48 years ago, a Shaheed Minar was built at Shamsernagar area in Moulvibazar’s Kamalganj upazila commemorating those who lost their lives during the Language Movement in 1952.

No Christmas for them

Lobbing Sumer (40) is the head of a six-member family at Doluchhara punjee in Moulvibazar’s Kulaura upazila. During the last 13 years serving as the Khasi punjee (indigenous village) chief, he had to manage the expenses of seven cases filed by the forest department against the members of their community.