United News of Bangladesh

As winter settles over Narail, open fields in Shalua of Maijpara Union and Sholpur of Singasholpur Union transform into makeshift drying yards where the district’s famed dry fish season begins in earnest. For the communities here, the annual cycle is more than a tradition — it is a vital source of income that supports hundreds of families. Dry fish has long been considered a staple across the region, but in Narail it is an economic backbone. Fishermen, labourers, small traders, and transporters all rely on the trade, which has earned the district recognition as a notable hub for producing chemical-free dry fish. On raised bamboo macha, fish sourced daily from canals, beels, and rivers are cleaned, salted and arranged under the open sky to dry. The process is entirely natural, a fact that locals say has boosted demand in recent years. Read more: Fish export to India halted thru Akhaura land port Since this dry fish is prepared without any chemicals and in a safe environment, demand is increasing day by day, villagers said. Among those who travel to Narail for seasonal work are Md Kabir Sheikh and Kamrul Sheikh from Muksudpur in Gopalganj. They spend the winter months drying varieties such as climbing perch (koi) and glassy perchlet (chanda), along with the widely popular chapa shutki. No chemicals are used — only salt, they said, as rows of fish dried slowly under the sun. While the work continues smoothly, selling remains a challenge. Fisherman Md Mosa Mia said lower water levels during winter make it easier to catch different local species, allowing producers to buy raw fish at relatively low prices. The difficulty lies in accessing the market. “We buy the fish and make dry fish. But without a broker, it has become difficult to sell,” he said, adding, “If we could sell directly to buyers, we would earn better profits.” Another fisherman, Alok Biswas, described the realities of production: two to three maunds of raw fish reduce to one maund after drying. Read more: PKSF holds policy dialogue on fisheries market “Depending on the type, one maund of dry fish is sold for Tk 7,000 to Tk 8,000,” he said. Official target and growing reputation Narail District Fisheries Officer Mahbubur Rahman said a target of 80 metric tonnes of dry fish production has been set for the district this year. “Since the dry fish here is chemical-free, it is in demand not only within the district but across the country,” he said. The Fisheries Office has been providing training and technical support to help producers maintain quality and strengthen their position in the market. For now, as winter sunlight glints across the bamboo platforms, families continue the work that has sustained them for generations. The methods remain simple, the challenges persistent, but for Narail, dry fish remains a lifeline — one that keeps the district’s economy moving long after the drying season ends. Read more: Hilsa prices soar further putting this beloved fish beyond reach

A quiet agricultural revolution is taking place in Narail, where farmers are turning to year-round polyshade tomato cultivation for higher yields and better profits. Things look to be very encouraging.  With support from the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) under the Climate Smart Agriculture and Water Management Project, farmers in Tularampur of Sadar upazila have planted the summer variety Bari-8 with remarkable success. Thanks to modern techniques and proper care, the yields have been impressive and profits are encouraging. Kamalpur farmer Kamrul Islam shared his story proudly.  “I cultivated tomatoes on 20 decimals of land after receiving training from the agriculture office. I spent about Tk 60,000, and I expect to make a profit of Tk 100,000 to Tk 150,000," he said.  Another farmer, Baharul Molya, said, “I usually grow other crops, but when tomato prices went up, I decided to try summer tomatoes this year. I got good yields and expect solid profits after expenses.” Tomato farmers in Chandpur struggle as prices plummet Farmer Rana Molya credited training from the agriculture office for helping him control diseases and boost production.  “There’s high demand in the local market. I sold tomatoes at Tk 80–90 per kilogram wholesale. With expenses around Tk 60,000, I expect to earn Tk 100,000 to Tk 160,000 in profit," he said.  Encouraged by these results, many other farmers are preparing to switch to tomato farming.  According to Rajib Biswas, a sub-assistant agriculture officer at Tularampur Union, summer tomatoes were grown on about 1.5 acres of land this year. “As market prices stay high, farmers’ interest in tomato farming is growing. We provide them with training, technical advice, and necessary inputs. Cultivating tomatoes on one acre costs roughly Tk 300,000, but farmers can earn Tk 250,000 to Tk 300,000 in net profit," Rajib said.  With growing demand and impressive returns, more farmers are expected to take up tomato cultivation in Narail next year.  The success of this venture is not only boosting incomes but also reshaping the rural economy—offering new hope and opportunity in the heart of Bangladesh’s farmland. Bumper tomato yields bring no joy to Sunamganj farmers

Two siblings drowned in a pond in Kalia upazila of Narail district on Tuesday afternoon. The deceased were Taslima Khatun, 15, a 10th-grade student at Bardiya Girls’ Secondary School, and her brother Kawsar Sheikh, 8, a 2nd-grade student at Shibanandapur Government Primary School. According to local sources and family members, the siblings were last seen in the afternoon heading toward the pond area with their neighbour Nahar Begum. 3-year-old boy drowns while fishing with father in Lalmonirhat As evening approached and they did not return home, the family began searching for them and recovered the bodies from the pond, said Officer-in-Charge of Naragato thana Ashiqur Rahman. The children’s mother, Baby Begum, alleged that her children were murdered. “My daughter knew how to swim. They couldn’t have drowned,” she said. The bodies were sent to Narail Sadar Hospital morgue for autopsy. An unnatural death case has been filed.

Two children drowned in a pond near their house at Atalia village in Kalia upazila of  Narail on Wednesday The deceased were Rahad Sheikh, 2, son of Shimul Sheikh from Atlia village and his cousin Rihan Sheikh, 2, son of Riaz Sheikh of the same village. 13-year-old tourist drowns in Sylhet’s Jaflong on eid day According to police and locals, Rahad and Rihan were playing at the courtyard of the house in the morning. After some time, they were found missing and their family members started searching them. Later they were found drowning in a pond near the house. They were taken to Narail Sadar Hospital where a doctor declared them dead. Kalia Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md. Abdullah Al Mamun said the death of two children from the same family is a tragic incident. After the initial investigation and legal procedure, the bodies of the deceased were handed over to their families.

A person was killed and five others were injured when a CNG-run auto-rickshaw collided head-on with a covered van in Lohagara upazila of Narail on Sunday afternoon. The accident occurred around 4:30pm at the Basupati Stand area on the Kalna-Jashore highway, said police. The deceased was identified as Nasir, 48, son of Md Dabir Uddin from Itna village under Lohagara upazila. He was the driver of the CNG auto-rickshaw. According to Lohagara Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Ashiqur Rahman, quoting locals, a passenger-laden CNG was heading towards Lohagara from the Narail municipal office area. Upon reaching the Basupati area, it collided head-on with a covered van coming from the opposite direction. SSC examinee dies after being hit by truck at Uttara CNG driver Nasir was critically injured and died on the spot. Locals rescued the injured passengers and rushed them to Lohagara Upazila Health Complex and Narail Sadar Hospital for treatment. OC Ashiqur Rahman added that necessary legal steps are being taken regarding the incident.

A 36-year-old man hacked to death allegedly by his rivals over establishing supremacy in Kalia upazila of Narail on Wednesday night, said police.  The deceased, Akram Sheikh, was son of Md. Hekmat Sheikh from Char Shuktail village of the upazila.  Police and locals said there had long been a conflict between two groups led by Ansar Jamaddar and Hekmat Sheikh over establishing dominance in Char-Jaynagar village under Naragati police station. The police station falls under Kalia upazila.  On Wednesday evening, Hekmat’s fellow Akram went to a tea stall when some 15-20 people of the opponent group carried out an attack on him with sharp weapons, leaving him critically injured.   Two killed in separate BNP factional clashes in Rajshahi He was rushed him to nearby Gopalganj 250-bed General Hospital, where physicians declared him dead upon arrival.  Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Naragati police station Md. Shariful Islam said the factional clash led to the killing and efforts were underway to identify those involved in the murder.

Three people including a local BNP leader were injured in a crude bomb explosion near the BNP office at Gobra Bazar in Narail Sadar on Friday night.  The injured were Babu Molya, senior vice president of the union BNP, Wazed Ali Titumir, and Newton Gazi. Narail Sadar Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Sajedul Islam said the crude bomb exploded in front of a tin-shed structure at Gobra Bazar,  leaving three people injured. Among them, two were admitted to Narail Sadar Hospital while Wazed Ali Titumir was taken to Dhaka with critical injuries.  2 BNP factions clash in Rajshahi over ‘AL leader’s arrest attempt’ Witnesses said at around 9:30pm on Friday, unidentified assailants threw three bombs targeting the BNP office at Gobra New Stand and fled the scene on two motorbikes.  The reason behind the attack is yet to be known and an investigation is underway, the OC added.

The fisheries and agriculture sectors in Narail have incurred losses worth Tk 100 crore, due to flood caused by multiple rounds of heavy rainfall during the monsoon. Massive flooding after continuous rains submerged at least 3,500 fish enclosures and ponds, out of 5,300 on 1,700 hectares of land in the district. About 66% of the fish enclosures were impacted, resulting in losses of Tk 90 crore in the fisheries sector alone, according to Fisheries Department. Department of Agricultural Extension sources said the flood also damaged crops, including Aman paddy and vegetables such as beans, pumpkins, cucumbers, and papayas, causing an additional losses worth Tk 10 crore. Thousands of farmers in Narail Sadar, Lohagara, and Kalia upazilas were severely impacted, with Narail Sadar and Kalia being the most affected. Haor tourism: Sunamganj sees increased tourist flow after losses Local farmers and DAE officials said the district's economy heavily relies on agriculture and fish farming, surrounded by wetlands and enclosures. About 82% of the population is engaged in agriculture, and over 50,000 people are directly involved in fish farming. The scale of the damage has left many in distress, including fish farmer Md. Ahaduzzaman from Bhawakali wetland, who said, "I invested heavily this year, hoping to earn at least Tk 10 lakh, but my three enclosures were completely flooded." He also lost his vegetable crops and now struggles to repay loans. Other farmers face similar difficulties. Jiru Sheikh, a fish farmer from Durgapur, said, "I have never faced such losses before. All the fish from my enclosures have been washed away, causing a loss of Tk 7 lakh." Azizur Sheikh from the same area reported damages exceeding Tk 8 lakh after losing fish from four of his five enclosures and the vegetables on the banks. Farmer Khaza Mia lamented that the flooding made it impossible to distinguish between the wetland and enclosures, while Tazibur Sherikh from Arpara village said he could no longer walk across fields without a boat. The agriculture and fisheries departments have started assessing the damage. Chili growers in Manikganj worried over low production due to drought Md. Ashek Parvez, Deputy Director of the DAE, said, "A list of affected farmers has been prepared. The government will provide fertilisers and seeds to help them recover." Besides, District Fisheries Officer H.M. Badruzzaman  said a list of affected fish enclosure owners has been submitted to higher authorities for possible assistance. Despite the devastation, Narail remains a surplus district in food and fish production. The annual fish demand is 16,000 metric tons, but production reaches at least 18,000 metric tons, leaving a surplus of 2,000 metric tons. Besides, the district produces at least one lakh metric tons of surplus food annually. However, the recent rainfall has jeopardised the livelihoods of thousands dependent on fisheries and agriculture. Read more: BNP calls for relief support for flood-hit farmers in North, Mymensingh

Police have arrested a 62-year-old man in a case filed over raping a class five student in Naragati thana of Narail. The arrestee is Mahbubur Rahman alias Mahbub Sheikh of Chorkhali village of Naragati Police Station. Man gets life term in drugs case in Narail He was arrested from Shuktail village in Gopalganj Sadar on Wednesday afternoon, said Naragati Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Mostafizur Rahman. The victim's mother filed a rape case at Naragati Police Station on February 6. Mashrafe secures victory from Narail-2 again According to police, on February 4, Mahbubur forcibly took the victim to his son-in-law Rana Sheikh's house and raped her. As the victim started screaming, locals rushed to the spot while the accused fled the spot. The victim was later taken to Khulna Medical College Hospital for treatment. ‘Will reveal plans about development of Narail if I win the election’, says Mashrafe During primary interrogation, the accused confessed to the crime, said police. The victim gave a statement to the court under section 22 of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act 2000 (Amendment 2003), added the OC.

Former Bangladesh cricket team captain and Narail-2 Awami League candidate for the 12th parliamentary election Mashrafe Bin Mortaza bagged the seat for the second time consecutively by a huge margin. Barrister Sumon crushes incumbent state minister for civil aviation and tourism He bagged 1,89,102 votes, while his nearest rival Hafizur Rahman from Bangladesh Workers Party secured 4,041 votes in Sunday's polls. The polling that began at 8:00 am concluded at 4pm without any break amid tight security in 299 out of the country’s 300 constituencies. The counting of votes started immediately after the end of voting. Shahriar Alam wins Rajshahi-6 Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina cast her vote at Dhaka City College in the capital this morning. Election Commission Secretary Jahangir Alam on Sunday said 27.15 % votes were cast till 3 pm on Sunday. BNP holds protest rally rejecting polls in Kishoreganj