On May 25, 2009, Cyclone Aila hit south-western Bangladesh. Sutarkhali in Khulna’s Dacope upazila was one of the remote villages in the Sunderbans pummelled by the cyclonic storm. The powerful cyclone destroyed farm lands and flattened houses in the village, pushing local residents to the brink of extreme poverty.

A youth was lynched by a mob shortly after he stabbed another youth to death on Tuesday morning in Dacope upazila in Khulna.   The stabbed youth was identified as Nilotpal Raptan, 28, son of Sukumar Raptan while the man killed by mob was identified as Emon, son of Badol Sheikh.   Confirming the information, Md Shafiqul Islam Chowdhury, officer-in-charge of Dacope Police Station, said Nilotpal was stabbed to death on the spot by Emon over a trifling issue regarding pasturing cattle in Bajua SN Degree College field at around 9:30am.   After a while, agitated villagers caught Emon and beat him up. He was declared dead after being taken to Upazila Health Complex, the OC added.

State Minister for Water Resources Zahid Faruk on Friday urged the countrymen to plant trees on river banks to save homesteads.