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

Former cricketer and Narail-2 Awami League candidate for the 12th Parliamentary Election Mashrafe Bin Mortaza on Sunday he will disclose his plans for the development of Narail if he wins the national election. Read: Election 2024: Voting underway amid low turnout, 1 death reported in Munshiganj “Voting has been going well since morning. Women have come to vote, including elderly voters, even in the winter,” Mashrafe told reporters after casting his vote at Narail Technical School and College centre at 10:50 am. Seven candidates, including Mashrafe are contesting the polls from Narail-2 constituency. The number of voters here is 365,729. Of these, 183,739 voters are female and 181,990 are male.

Narail-2 Awami League candidate for the 12th Parliamentary Election, Mashrafe bin Mortaza, said that megaprojects have been coming to his constituency as he can run from one place to another and get things done. "I can stick to a job. I can endure hardship. I can go to ministries. Mega projects have been coming to Narail today because I ran from one place to another,” he said at a street rally in Gilatala Primary School grounds in Kashipur Union of Lohagara Upazila on Monday. Faridpur-1 constituency: Mashrafe campaigns for Awami League candidate "IT parks, engineering colleges—all of these are right beside your homes. If these don't come, where will your sons and daughters study, and where will they get trained? When the children grow up, they will support their families; they will be able to live well. However, we need to create that place. On January 7, please go to the polling centre and cast your valuable vote. I have come with the boat symbol. I believe you will provide an opportunity for your children to work by casting your votes for them," said the candidate. 4 supporters of Mashrafe fined for breaching electoral code Narail District Awami League Vice-President Adv. Syed Ayub Ali, Lohagara Upazila Parishad Chairman, SMA Hannan Runu, and Lohagara Upazila Awami League President Munshi Alauddin were present at the time, among others. According to information from the Election Commission, in the parliamentary elections, Narail-2 constituency has a total of 365,729 voters in two municipalities and 20 unions. Among them, 181,990 are male voters, and 183,736 are female voters. Mashrafe urges voters to cast vote on January 7

Awami League leader Syed Faizul Amir Litu, an independent candidate for Narail-2 constituency, has regained his candidacy to contest in the 12th Jatiya Sangsad polls. The High Court bench of Justice MD Iqbal Kabir and Bishjit Debnath delivered the order after reviewing his appeal on Thursday (December 28). Despite HC order Sylhet-2 independent candidate yet to get symbol Confirming the matter, Deputy Commissioner and District Returning Officer Mohammad Ashfaqul Haque Chowdhury said that Syed Faizul Amir Litu has been allotted "truck" symbol. Earlier on Dec 4, the returning officer cancelled Litu's candidacy due to some complications including the signature of one percent of the voters. Govt declares Jan 7 as general holiday for 12th national election Faizul Amir was called several times for his comments, but he did not respond. A total of eight candidates are vying in the upcoming election from Narail-2 constituency. BNP-Jamaat ask people not to vote as they believe in elections without voting: Law Minister The candidates are AL-backed candidate Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, Workers Party's Adv. Sheikh Hafizur Rahman, Jatiya Party’s Adv Faekuzzaman Feroz, Islami Oikya Jote's Mahabubur Rahman, National People's Party (NPP) Monirul Islam, Gono Front's  Md Latifur Rahman and two independent candidates Md Noor Islam and Syed Faizul Amir Litu.

A mobile court has fined four supporters of Narail-2 constituency Awami League candidate Mashrafe Bin Mortaza for violating the election code of conduct during the campaign.  Md Anisur Rahman, executive magistrate of the mobile court, slapped the penalty on Wednesday night. 11 BNP leaders-activists arrested in Narail He said that they conducted a drive in Hatir Bagan area of the town on Wednesday night as part of a regular duty in the two constituencies of Narail. 2 dead in motorbike-three wheeler collision in Narail Four supporters of Mashrafe  were fined Tk5,200 for putting stickers of his electoral symbol  “boat” on the vehicles, Anisur said. He said he had also warned them against repeating the offence. Narail farmer beaten to death in barbaric attack

Farmers in Narail district are seeing profits multiplied up to six times by growing off-season watermelons in Kalia upazila, thanks to the local agricultural department officials for introducing hybrid variants of watermelons in the area. Normally, February to April is the season of the mouth-watering summer fruit but officials of the local Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) introduced hybrid variants in Kalia upazila during monsoon. A total of eight hectares of land in Kalia upazila are being used to grow the off-season watermelons, with a target to produce 15 tonnes of the fruit per hectare. The DAE officials provided fertilizers, seeds and cash to the farmers and with their help, watermelons are being cultivated along the bank of the fish enclosures and waterbodies in Gobindanagar, Salamabad, and Bhaktadanga areas. On a remote char in country's poorest district, watermelon cultivation transforms lives Farmers are growing Asian-2, Tripti and Black Baby hybrid variants of watermelon. These variants taste sweet and delicious, they say. Farmers say they spent Tk 15,000-20,000 per hectare and sold watermelons worth Tk 1.5 lakh to 2 lakh per hectare. Sheikh Kamal Hossain, a resident of Bhaurir Char in the upazila and assistant professor at Nabadanga Degree College, said, “I took training from Dumuria upazila of Khulna district and after that, I have planted 1000 saplings of watermelon on seven acres of land along the fish enclosures on an experimental basis last year. I have earned Tk 2 lakh from this.” This year, he planted 2000 saplings on the same land after spending Tk 70,000. He expects to earn Tk 4 lakh from watermelon production this year. Rain, hailstorm worry Khulna watermelon growers Pradeep Kumar Barman, councilor of ward-6 under Kalia municipality, said this year he planted 12,000 saplings along the bank of 150 bigha of fish enclosures during monsoon. “So far I have spent Tk 10 lakh. Within 35 days, flowers started to bloom and I started harvesting watermelon within 60-65 days of planting. Each watermelon weighs almost 4 kg.” He also expected to produce 2 lakh kgs of watermelon this year and if the market prices remain favorable, he could be able to earn Tk 40 lakh. Low price dims the joy of watermelon growers in Khulna despite bumper harvest Depak Kumar Roy, deputy director of Narail DAE, said the farmers are earning profits up to six times considering their expenditure, within 60-65 days of cultivation. “We are providing all-out support through using smart technology and providing fertilizer and pesticides for good production of watermelon.” Eva Mallik, Kalia Upazila Agriculture Officer, said “Watermelon is no longer a seasonal fruit now, and it can be produced throughout the year. Flowers start to bloom within 40-50 days of planting saplings and 70-80 days are needed for harvesting.” Most of the farmers in the district are showing interest in cultivating the off-season hybrid watermelon on their lands as it has proven to be profitable, he said. Read more: Bangladesh can go for Chinese perennial rice farming to reduce cost and labour

Police have arrested a man allegedly for torturing his 8-month-old son hanging from a tree for not getting dowry from his wife at Raghunathpur village in Lohagara upazila of the district. The arrestee is Mamun Sheikh, 33, of the village. Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Lohagara police station Nasir Uddin said victim Al Habib’s mother filed a case under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act at the police station on Monday evening. The accused was produced before the court which sent him to jail on Tuesday, added the OC. According to the case statement, Mamun married Kulsum Begum 13 years ago. The couple has been blessed with three children. Mamun used to demand money as dowry from Kulsum since their marriage. Mamun married again without the permission of his first wife Kulsum one year ago. On Monday afternoon, he started torturing Kulsum again for money. As she refused to give money, Mamun hanged his 8-month-old son from a tree and tortured him inhumanly.  Later the photo of the torture went viral on social media Facebook.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today (February 15, 2023) handed over the keys of ‘Bir Nibash’ to valiant freedom fighters, who are financially marginalized. The Prime Minister handed over keys to 5000 houses at a programme – held in Dhaka’s Osmani Memorial Auditorium – organized by the Liberation War Affairs Ministry with the Minister AKM Mozammel Huq in the chair. The PM joined the programme virtually from her official residence Ganabhaban. The houses are being given away to freedom fighters as gifts from the Prime Minister, on the occasion of Mujib Borsho and 50 years of Bangladesh’s independence. Read more: President-elect, PM call on incumbent at Bangabhaban The project, ‘House construction for insolvent freedom fighters’ – approved by the ECNEC on March 21 last year – is being implemented at the cost of Tk 4,122 crore which will come from government funds. The main objective of the project is to construct 30,000 ‘Bir Nibash’ (houses) for insolvent freedom fighters, Birangana (women freedom fighters), widows and children of martyred and late freedom fighters. Named ‘Bir Nibash’ (Home for Heroes), each 635sqft house has two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a dining room, and a kitchen. This project is an initiative of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to uplift the socio-economic status of financially marginalized freedom fighters, as well as widows and children of late freedom fighters. Read More: BALID honours six freedom fighters in the month of victory The cost of building each house is Tk 14,10,382, as per the official source. Deputy Commissioners of Narail, Madaripur, Gopalganj, Gazipur and Kishoreganj, on behalf of the Prime Minister handed over the keys in their respective areas.