Two siblings died from electrocution at Uribunia village in Nesarabad upazila of Pirojpur district on Saturday (February 10, 2024). The deceased were identified as Enam Haque, 20 and Nadim Haque, 24—two sons of Aynal Haque of the village. HM Shahin, officer-in-charge of Nesarabad Police Station, said Ripon Mia, a farmer, set an electric rat control trap on his land adjacent to a canal. Read: Four killed in road accidents in Noakhali and Kushtia Enam and Nadim went to the canal adjacent to the land to catch fish on Friday night. As they were unaware of the trap they got electrocuted when they stepped into into  land while fishing. Local people found both of them in unconscious condition on Saturday morning and informed police, said local UP member Md Mizan. On information, police recovered the bodies and sent those to a local hospital morgue for autopsy. Read more: How to Protect Children from Electric Shocks

Farmers engaged in vegetable farming — on floating beds made of hyacinth and bamboo — in Nazirpur and Nesarabad upazilas of Pirojpur district are devastated by low prices of their produce.       Though the farmers keep themselves engaged in cultivating vegetables, taking advantage of the availability of hyacinth in the region, anxiety over low prices has gripped them.      According to the district’s Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), farmers in the region have been farming vegetables, using the floating method, for over a century. Some 3,200 farmers of the upazilas cultivate several varieties of vegetables including papaya, gourd, pumpkin, beans, okra, tomato, eggplant and cabbage. Read More: Climate change: Shrimp farming endangered in Khulna  The vegetable seedlings produced on the beds are usually sold at upazilas of the district and other parts of the country but this year the sales are not seeing a momentum due to poor response from buyers.    Though it was targeted to produce 86,50,000 saplings on 175 hectares of land, it exceeded the target due to favourable weather. Earlier, a bunch of 100 saplings was sold at Tk 250 to 300 but the price is now Tk 150 to 200. The sale of saplings goes on from June to November every year.   Some areas including Deulbari-Dobra, Kalardoyania and Malikhai under Nazirpur upazila and most parts of Baldiya union under Nesarabad upazila remain under 5 to 8 feet water round the year, causing no production of any crop. Read more: Bumper T-Aman yield, good price delight Sirajganj farmers The farmers said they usually take loans from local money lenders for usury and lands as sublease for cultivating vegetables and producing saplings. The farmers are bound to take loans from the lenders with a high usury because of failure to manage loans from the banks during the Robi, Kharif-1 and 2 seasons. They are deprived of bagging a good profit due to the high interest on the loans, they said.      Hoping assistance from the government, the farmers said they don’t get the desired prices by selling produce due to natural disasters, damages of crops, low price, disadvantages in marketing and lack of preservation.    Read More: Tulip farming opens new opportunity for farmers in Tetulia, Jashore Local farmer Jamal Hossain said he is used to cultivating vegetables on the floating beds made of hyacinth and bamboo in the water bodies taken on sublease.   “I have 15 to 16 beds where I cultivate several types of vegetables including beans, papaya, tomato, chili and gourd,” he said. “We have not been getting a reasonable price due to lack of dealers caused by the Covid-19 pandemic,” he claimed, adding that an amount of Tk 7,000 to 10,000 is  needed to cultivate vegetables and produce saplings on a 60-hand long bed. Dr Md Nazrul Islam Sikdar, deputy director of the district’s DAE, told UNB that some 60 to 70 percent farmers of Gaokhali, Monohorpur, Delbari and Malikhali areas under Nazipur upazila have been involved with vegetable farming on floating beds. Read more: Vegetable farming on floating beds gets popular in Sylhet “We inform the farmers on maintaining quality and visit their croplands to give training,” he said. Urging high officials of the agricultural ministry to take measures to offer loans on easy conditions, the farmers said that it will be difficult to keep vegetable cultivation on floating beds going unless loans from banks are made easy.

Khan Md Alauddin, Public Prosecutor of Pirojpur on Tuesday sought unconditional apology from the High Court for misbehaving with district Chief Judicial Magistrate Abu Zafar Md Noman. After the hearing, the court warned PP Alauddin and exempted him from contempt of the court. High Court bench of Justice JBM Hassan and Razik-Al-Jalil passed the order in the public interest. Advocate Fida M. Kamal and Sayed Ahmed Raza stood for the PP in the court, accompanied by Abdullah Al Mamun while Attorney General AM Amin Uddin and Deputy Attorney General Tushar Kanti Roy represented the state during the hearing. Read more: Defamation Suit: Court summons Shajahan Khan Addressing the PP, the court said, "You are the lawyer for the state. You are the leader of the bar. As a lawyer at the bar, such behavior with the court is not desirable. If you do not respect the court, how will the dignity of the court be protected? It is PP’s responsibility to assist judges in keeping the court's environment civil. Such behavior cannot be expected." On July 25, during hearing on the bail plea of an accused named MD Hafizur Rahman Siddiqui, the CJM asked all the lawyers to step outside the courtroom except the plaintiff’s and defendant’s lawyers, after being unable to control the heated arguments between the two sides. Read more: HC dismisses defamation cases against Asian Age chairman Shoaib Chowdhury On September 19, Pirojpur CJM Abu Zafar Md Noman sent a letter to Supreme Court Registrar General alleging PP Md Alauddin had misbehaved. On October 17, the High Court summoned PP Alauddin to appear before the court on November 15 and present his statement in this regard.    

At least 20 shops were gutted in a fire at Attghar Kuriyana Bazar in Swarupkathi upazila of Pirojpur district early Sunday. Locals said the fire might have started from a sweetmeat shop around 5am and soon engulfed the adjoining shops. On information, several firefighting units from Swarupkathi fire station rushed to the spot and doused the flame after two hours. Read: Kushtia filling station fire kills two Abdus Salam, station officer of Swarupkathi Fire Service and Civil Defense, said the fire might have originated from an electric short-circuit. Abir Mohammad Hasan, officer-in-charge of Swarupkathi police station, said the origin of the fire will be known after investigation.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday opened the much-desired "Bangamata Begum Fazilatun Nesa Mujib 8th Bangladesh-China Friendship Bridge" over Kacha River at Bekutia in Pirojpur. The construction of the 1,493-metre bridge has materialized the dream of millions of people of the country's southwestern region, establishing the uninterrupted road connectivity between Khulna Division and Barishal Division. The premier opened the bridge joining a function through a virtual platform from her office here in the capital. Read: PM’s India Visit: Bilateral instruments on water management, defence, railway likely to be signed The construction work of the bridge was started on November 1 in 2018. The Roads and Highways Department constructed the bridge at a cost of Tk 894.08 crore. The Chinese government provided Tk 654.80 crore as project assistance for the bridge while Bangladesh government shared Tk 239.80 crore. The bridge also established the road connectivity between Pirojpur and Dhaka. It also helped establish the direct road connectivity among Kuakata Sea beach, Payra deep sea port,  Mongla sea port and the country's largest land port Benapole. Read: Teesta mainly depends on India: PM Hasina tells ANI Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader and Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jiming also spoke at the opening ceremony conducted by PM’s Principal Secretary Ahmad Kaikaus. Later, the premier exchanged views with the beneficiaries who rallied  on the two sides of the bridges. Fisheries and Livestock Minister, also Pirojpur-1 MP, SM Rezaul Karim was present at a rally at the west bank of the bridge, while Pirojpur-2 MP Anwar Hossain Manju was present at another rally at its east bank. Secretary of Road Transport and Highways Division ABM Amin Ullah Nuri made a power-point presentation over the newly constructed bridge.

Four youths were held Monday for vandalising an idol of a Hindu goddess at a temple in Pirojpur Sadar upazila, police said. Shubho Sheikh, 40, Abu Bakkar Siddiki, 17, Hasan Sheikh, 17, and Ramzan Mollah, 12, all from Sadar upazila, smashed the idol at Sri Sri Shitala Mandir in Durgapur union, Md Masuduzzaman, officer-in-charge of Pirojpur Sadar police station, said. Kala Chand Mandal, the priest of the temple, said: "Around 11am Sunday, I left the temple after performing worship services and the next morning found the idol's legs, hands, and head smashed." Also read: Patuakhali man held for placing Quran inside temple  The locals saw three or four youths wandering around the temple, he added. "They held Subho, Abu Bakkar, and Hasan, and the trio admitted that they had smashed and destroyed the idol along with Ramzan." OC Masuduzzaman said: "We detained four people after being informed by the locals. Police forces have been deployed to secure the temple and a case will be filed in connection with the incident." Also read:Govt. will soon distribute funds to help rebuild damaged temples and Hindu businesses

The 74-year-old mother of senior journalist Amir Khasru was found dead at her residence in Pirojpur district town on Monday, police said.  Sitara Halim, a resident of CI Para of the town and wife of Abdur Halim Hawladar, used to stay alone, Additional Superintendent of Pirojpur Police, Molla Azad, said. A tenant of the house told police that a paint worker knocked on the door of Sitara on the first floor of the building in the morning to resume renovation work the residence. READ: Ex-VOA news presenter Kaffey Khan dies Getting no response from inside the room, he informed the matter to the tenant of the building who in turn informed police. A team of police recovered the body of Sitara after breaking open the door of the house, said Molla. Police suspected that the woman might have been strangulated to death. Khasru, who lives in Dhaka, left for Pirojpur as soon as he heard the news.

National Parliament on Tuesday passed a bill which seeks to establish Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University in Pirojpur. Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni introduced the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University Pirojpur Bill, 2022, in Parliament and it was passed with a voice vote. The proposed university will be set up on the lines of the existing science and technology varsities for advancement of science and technology-based education. The President would be the Chancellor of the university.

Two persons have been killed and four others injured in separate road accidents in Pirojpur, police said on Saturday. The deceased were identified as Delwar Hossain Sardar, 60, a van driver from Bhandaria upazila, and Mia Md Faruk Hossain, 65, a former chairman of Dhanisafa union of Mathbaria upazila and a local Awami League member. Delwar died after his van was hit by a tractor trolley on a bridge near Zila Parishad Market in Pirojpur's Bhandaria upazila on Saturday morning. He died in the impact of the crash, said Bhandaria Police Station OC Masumur Rahman Biswas. "The body has been sent to the local hospital morgue for an autopsy. The killer vehicle has been seized and efforts are on to arrest its driver," the OC said. READ: Biker killed in road crash on Sajek road On Friday evening, Faruk Hossain was killed in a head-on collision between a truck and a three-wheeler. Three other occupants of the three-wheeler and its driver sustained injuries in the accident, police said. Pirojpur additional SP Mollah Azad Hossain said that the truck driver was arrested. "The body has been sent to the local hospital morgue for an autopsy," he said. READ: Kushtia road crash claims two lives

'Sundarbans Day' will be observed on Monday as every year since 2002 with an appeal to save the largest mangrove forest in the world. Virtual discussions have been organized in Bagerhat, Khulna, Pirojpur, Satkhira and Barguna due to covid situations like last year.  Rafiqul Islam Khokon, executive director of a private development agency 'Rupantor', said the day will be observed with the slogan 'Love the Sundarbans on the World Valentine's Day'. This time alternative employment for the people dependent on the Sundarbans will be focused on in this event. There is human pressure on forests for livelihood. Local people adjacent to the forest should be involved in different activities to protect the forest, said Chief Forest Conservator Md Amir Hossain Chowdhury. Also read: Tiger recovered from Sundarbans canal most likely died of natural causes Sundarbans, a World Heritage site, hosts a complex network of tidal waterways. The forest presents an excellent example of ongoing ecological processes and many of its flora and fauna are unique to this region. However, salinity in the Sundarbans is increasing due to climate change. Besides, the flow of water in the rivers and canals of the forest is decreasing gradually and several canals of the forest have been filled with silt. Sundari trees are dying due to excessive salinity. Wildlife is also being affected by various diseases by consuming salt water. In the Sundarbans, wild animals are being hunted and people do fishing by spraying pesticides in rivers and canals which threaten the biodiversity of the Sundarbans. According to various sources, there are 450 small and big rivers-canals in the Sundarbans. Due to lack of water flow, several small and big canal beds in the Sundarbans have been filled with silt. A variety of wild animals, including tigers and deer, leave the Sundarbans, cross canals, and enter the locality very often and lose their lives. Muhammad Belayet Hossain, divisional forest officer (DFO) of the Sundarbans East Division, said over 20 canals in the area under the Sundarbans East Division have been filled with silt. Besides, a 30 km area of Bhola river from Jaymoni to Das Bharani, Kharma canal and Aruarber canal has been filled. In this situation, various demands have been raised at different times to protect the Sundarbans, including celebrating 'Sundarbans Day' nationally. There is also a demand for the formation of a separate ministry for the Sundarbans. Also read: Govt withdraws ban on tourist launch movement in Sundarbans Executive Director of Sundarbans Academy Anwarul Qadir said that they have been demanding the formation of a separate ministry for the management of the Sundarbans to conserve the Sundarbans and improve the living standards of the people living near the forest. He is hopeful that if their demands are met, the fortunes of the forest and its people will improve. Rafiqul Islam Khokon, executive director of 'Rupantor', said the first National Sundarbans Conference in Khulna ended on 14 February 2001 with the 'Sundarbans Declaration'. Some 80 organizations including Rupantar, Khulna University, Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA) jointly organized that conference. At the conference, it was decided to observe 'Sundarbans Day' on February 14, and asked the government to observe 'Sundarbans Day' nationally. Since 2002, Sundarbans Academy, Sundarbans Division, various press clubs and various organizations have been observing 'Sundarbans Day' on 14th February in the districts adjoining the Sundarbans. In the eighteenth century, the area of the Sundarbans was almost double that of today. In 1878, the Sundarbans was declared a protected forest. The Unesco Commission of the United Nations declared three Sundarbans sanctuaries as World Heritage Sites in 1997. In 2017, the government expanded the sanctuary area in the Sundarbans. Out of the total forest area of 6,01,700 hectares, now the sanctuary area is 3,17,900 hectares. Earlier it was only 1,39,700 hectares. It has 375 species of wild animals, the Royal Bengal Tiger and other threatened species such as the estuarine crocodile, the Indian python, and the gangetic dolphins.