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Fear of losing jobs conquers fear of coronavirus
Thousands of readymade garment (RMG) factory workers started heading back to Dhaka from northern and southern districts on Saturday to save their jobs, ignoring risks to their lives and a potential coronavirus outbreak.
Coronavirus: Jashore farmers take the hit for falling vegetable prices
Farmers in Jashore, a district famous for its huge vegetable production, are now in great trouble as the prices of their produces have declined sharply for lack of marketing following the virtual lockdown amid the outbreak of coronavirus in the country.
As coronavirus diverts minds, dengue menace lurks
Although Dhaka city-dwellers have been complaining that they are suffering a lot due to increase in culex mosquitoes, the authorities concerned of both the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) claimed that their employees are working up to the maximum of their abilities to kill adult mosquitoes.
Coronavirus: Bangladesh’s overseas workers face ‘bleak future’
As the entire world is grappling with coronavirus pandemic, around 1.5 lakh Bangladeshi workers, who returned home from different countries, are facing a bleak future as they are not sure whether they will be able to return to their workplaces.
Coronavirus: Experts say misinformation now a big challenge
The number of coronavirus cases in Bangladesh continues to rise creating panic everywhere and so does the misinformation making things harder for all concerned to contain both the pandemic and infodemic, said experts.
Despite corona, it’s business as usual for Nabinagar brick kiln owners
While the entire country has come to a standstill with the suspension of all kinds of activities in an effort to prevent the spread of coronavirus, brick kiln workers in Nabinagar upazila of Brahmanbaria are passing busy time in collecting soil and making bricks.
Coronavirus: ‘What option do you have when you’re hungry?’
For many like Abul Kalam, a rickshaw-puller in the capital city for over three decades, Dhaka is now a ghostlike place as it has fallen silent amid the coronavirus scare.
Dhaka streets empty again as law enforcers go tough
As many city dwellers came out of their homes during the last few days unnecessarily defying the government’s stay-at-home instruction, members of the Bangladesh Police and Bangladesh Army took an aggressive stance on Thursday, forcing people to stay indoors again.
Corona fallout spells disaster for millions of poor Bangladeshis: Economists
Though the restriction of movement and general holidays are helping the nation contain the spread of deadly coronavirus, economists fear it will have a huge adverse impact on the livelihoods of millions of people engaged in informal sector as their ‘wages are disappearing’.
Bumper wheat production brings smiles to farmers
Bumper production of wheat in different char areas of Sirajganj and better prices available in the locals markets have brought smiles to the faces of the growers.
Harvesting and processing of wheat have already begun.
Sources said this year farmers cultivated wheat on 5,514 hectares of land in the district. The production target has been fixed at 16,530 metric tons.
Farmers have grown wheat in nine upazilas of the district since the first week of December.
Wheat was cultivated in huge quantity at various places including char regions in Jamuna River in Kazipur, Belkuchi, Chowhali, Shahjadpur and Sirajganj sadar upazilas.
Harvesting and processing began from the second week of March. Farmers said wheat cultivation was much higher this time as fertiliser price and labour wage were low to some extent.
Many, including wheat farmers Foroj Ali, Akram Hossain and Azgar Sheikh of the char areas of Sirajganj sadar upazila said that 10 to 10.5 maunds of wheat were produced per bigha this year.
Wheat is being sold on an average between Tk 1,100 and Tk 1,150 per maund in the local markets.
Habibul Haq, Deputy Director of Department of Agricultural Extension, said a huge quantity of wheat was cultivated in all the upazilas in the char areas of the district this year compared to last year.
“Bumper production was possible this year due to favourable weather,” he added.