Fish and fish spawns from 26,417 waterbodies and farms worth Tk 11.57 crore have been washed away by the recent flood in Netrokona. Most of the fish farmers had taken loans from banks, which have become a burden now. The flood ruined their dreams as they have lost everything they had invested in fish farming.  Md Rokonuzzaman Khan Khokon, owner of Nipa Agro Fisheries, said that he had cultivated various species of fish in 100 decimals of land. “All of the fish were ready for sale. I had hoped that I would get Tk 30 lakh by selling these fish. But sudden flooding has destroyed my hope completely.” “I had taken Tk 12 lakh as loan from a bank. I have no idea how I’ll repay my debt,” Khokon said. Md Arifur Rahman and Mukhlesur Rahman, two other fish farm owners, said that they cultivated fish worth Tk two crore in 34 acres of land.  They too had taken a loan of Tk 1.9 crore from a bank. But all of their fish have been washed away by flood. READ: Flood waters receding again in Sylhet but food, water crises persist “I had taken Tk 11 lakh as loan from Bangladesh Krishi Bank. I had also taken money from some of my acquaintances. I had invested Tk 30 lakh in fish farming. But all of my dreams were ruined. I’ll have to spend the rest of my life in repaying my debts,” said Md Ilyas Talukder, another fish farmer from Netrokona’s Baushi union. According to Mohammad Shahjahan Kabir, Fisheries Officer of Netrokona district, a total of 15,826 fish farmers and fish farm owners have been affected due to severe flooding.   “Around 3,500 hectares of area used as fish farms have been affected by the flood. Farmers incurred losses of Tk 11.57 crore,” said Shahjahan.

A faction of the Bangladesh Petrol Pump Owners Association (BPPOA) has threatened to go on a strike across the country if their 6-point demand, including raising commissions on the sales of petroleum by 7 percent, are not met soon. “We won’t receive any consignment of petroleum fuels from government depots from February 17 if our demands are not accepted,” said Syed Sazzadul Karim Kabul, president of a faction of the BPPOA, at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) on Wednesday. Secretary General of the BPPOA faction Mizanur Rahman Ratan and other leaders were present on the occasion. They said the Energy Division and Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation have unilaterally raised the commissions on sales by Tk 0.20 per litre against their longstanding demand for raising Tk 1.60 per litre. READ: Fuel Price hike: Now petrol pump, tank-lorry owners demand rise in commissions, transportation fares According to them, this is unacceptable as their other expenditures have excessively gone up and the government has also raised the price of diesel by Tk 15 per litre.   Their other demands are cancellation of the existing provisions for taking licences from different government bodies except Department of Explosive and Trade License Issuing Bodies, issuing gazette notification on declaration of sales’ commission, cancellation of the existing provision for taking lease of lands used for entrance of petrol pumps from the Roads and Highways Department and building adequate restrooms for tank-lorry workers at fuel depots. READ: BIWTA evicts Haji Salim's illegal petrol pump, over 260 establishments Meanwhile, Mohammad Nazmul Haque, president of another faction of the BPPOA, in a statement denounced the demands and the press conference arranged by the Kabul-led faction. He called the leaders of other factions as expelled members of the organisation.

A Dhaka court on Tuesday sent owners of virtual outlet e-orange.shop  Sonia Mehzabin and her husband Masukur Rahman in a fraud case filed over embezzlement of Tk 1,100 crore from consumers. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Abu Bakar Siddique passed the order rejecting their bail pleas. Earlier, the accused surrendered before the court seeking bail. Also read: Film actress Eka sent to jail in two cases On Monday an aggrieved customer of E-Orange Md Taherul Islam filed a fraud case with Gulshan police station in presence of 37 other customers who testified against the accused. According to the case, on April 21, Taherul ordered a product from eorgance.shop paid in advance. But the online shop failed to deliver the product on the promised date. Neither did it return the money. The outlet has posted notice on its Facebook page many times seeking more time from the customers to deliver the products. But the products didn’t come. Also read: Rupganj factory fire: Owner sent to jail, his 2 sons granted bail Besides, the gift vouchers the company provided to shop in different outlets were also not being honoured. They said the company didn’t pay them their money. Taherul said he filed the case in fear of losing his money after he came to know the company’s ownership has changed hands.