Members of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) detained two persons with 20 gold bars weighing 3.830 kilograms from Lokkhidari and Bashkol areas of Satkhira's Bhomra border on Thursday. They were allegedly attempting to smuggle the gold bars from Bangladesh to India, said a press release. 1 detained with 14 gold bars worth over Tk 1.41 crore in Satkhira In Lokkhidari, a team of 33-BGB Battalion conducted a drive in the area on Thursday afternoon and apprehended a man and recovered 2.420 kilograms of gold from his possession. The current market value of the seized gold bars is over Tk 2.13 crore. Two detained with 31 gold bars in Satkhira: BGB In another incident, the law enforcers detained Ashraful Islam , 24, with 10 gold bars weighing 1.410 kilograms from the Bashkol area this morning. The market value of the seized gold bars is more than Tk 1.24 crore. BGB seizes six gold bars worth Tk58 lakh near Satkhira border The detainees were handed over to Satkhira Sadar police station and the process is underway to hand over the seized gold bars to the Satkhira Treasury Office, said the press release.

Two farm workers were dead and 12 people were injured as a truck carrying them fell into a roadside ditch after overturning on Khulna-Satkhira highway in Tala upazila of Satkhira early this morning (May 16, 2023), said police. The deceased -- Suman Hossain, 35, and Abul Hossain, 46 -- were residents of Shyamnagar upazila in the district. Of the injured, only three could be identified: Farida Khatun, Arafat Hossain Mithu and Eshar Ali. Taposh Kumar Das, who also sustained injuries in the accident and received treatment from Satkhira Sadar Hospital, said a total of 24 workers including him went to Shariatpur for harvesting paddy a few days back. On Monday night, all the workers were returning home on a truck loaded with paddy as they got those as wages, he said. The accident happened around 5:15 am when the truck fell into the roadside ditch after overturning in front of Kumira Women's College on the highway, he said, adding that the helper was driving the vehicle despite their objection. Shawkat Hossain, officer-in-charge of Khulna-Satkhira highway police station, said the accident left Suman dead on the spot and 13 others critically injured. On information, members of a nearby fire station rushed to the spot, recovered the body from beneath the truck, and sent the injured to several hospitals including the Sadar Hospital, he said. Injured Abul Hossain succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment at the Sadar Hospital, the OC said, adding that the truck was seized but its driver and helper managed to flee. Ten workers who sustained minor injuries returned home later, the police officer added.  

Elena, a Romanian tourist, has always wanted to travel the world on a bike. She has so far visited 29 countries. Elena came to Satkhira on Monday from India and is now staying at a private organization ‘Rishilpi International’, at Binerpota in the district. Elena’s Italian friend Andreya came to Satkhira by bike one month ago and he is a donor of Rishilpi International. Also read: Satkhira journalist, earlier ‘picked up by law enforcers’, shown arrested. Besides, at the invitation of Elena and Andreya, their friend Elierio also came to Satkhira through Bhomra land port on Tuesday. Elena said, “I am a tourist and I have been traveling for the last three years, and have already visited 29 countries. I like Muslim countries and I love the culture of the country. I am now observing everything.”

Law enforcers in plainclothes allegedly picked up a Satkhira journalist up on his way to home from an assignment on Monday. Manabadhikar Shongskriti Foundation, a human rights organisation headed by noted activist Sultana Kamal, expressed deep concern over the incident and demanded immediate release of Raghunath Kha, local correspondent of Dainik Projonmo Ekattor and Deepto TV, in a press release. It said the journalist went to Khalishakhali area under Debhata upazila on professional purpose and captured some photos. The law enforcers in plainclothes intercepted him on his way back at Day Night College roundabout and took him away - in fact there is no record of his detention. However that has been common across all the agencies for some time now. Read more: Missing journalist Sarowar found in Sitakunda On information, the victim’s wife Supriya Rani rushed to the concerned police station and other offices but they denied the detention. Addressing the role of journalists in taking the country forward, the human rights organisation demanded his immediate release.

A Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel apparently ended his life by shooting himself with his service weapon at a camp in Shyamnagar upazila of Satkhira early Tuesday. The deceased was identified as Lance Naik Parvez Alam, 30. He hailed from Noakhali and was posted at the BGB camp in Nildumur. Read more: ‘Need some rest now,’ BGB man says in suicide note Other BGB members at the camp rushed severely injured Parvez to Shyamnagar Upazila Health Complex around 4:30am. He died on the way to another hospital, said Nurul Islam Badal, officer-in-charge (OC) of Shyamnagar police station. The body was handed over to the BGB officials after an autopsy at Satkhira Sadar Hospital, said the OC. Dr Ahmed Ali and Dr Tamim Hossain, physicians of Satkhira Sadar Hospital, said that Parvez died due to the bullet injury on the left side of his chest. Read more: BGB personnel shoots self with service gun in Naogaon, dies An unnatural death case was filed in this regard, the OC added.

Farida Parvin, a housewife in Sultanpur village under Sadar upazila of Satkhira district, now has her own source of income — making jute products for a private organisation involved in exporting those. Like Farida, a number of women in the village are now earning money after receiving training from ‘Rishilpi International Handicrafts Organisation’. Farida has two sons and a daughter and her husband Abdur Razzaque used to run a tea stall to cover the expenses of the five-member family. In 2016, Farida joined Rishilpi International Handicrafts Organisation after hearing about it from another woman and received training there. Now her monthly income is Tk 5000-5500. Also read: Diversified jute products fair witnesses huge footfall on closing day The raw materials are provided by the organisation and as per their demands, she makes jute bags, wall and floor mats. Tereja Mandal, another housewife of the village, said she is now able to bear the entire expenses of her family and the medical treatment of her husband, who is paralysed, by making jute products. “The organisation provides Tk 300-350 per jute bag to me and Tk 2500-3000 for each wall and floor mat,” she said. Around 7,000 women are now involved in making handicrafts for the organisation which has proved to be a boon for them. Read More: Jute growers paying for drought that resulted in discoloured fibre European countries are the main buyers of the jute products, and every year, jute products worth Tk 9-10 crore are exported from Satkhira. The jute products are being exported to Italy, Germany, France, Spain, Finland and Switzerland in Europe and to Australia as well. Sanjay Sarkar, product manager of Rishilpi International Handicrafts, said the organisation has been exporting jute products after giving training to 7,000 women of the district. Also read: Turkish businesses keen to invest in Bangladesh’s jute sector: Ambassador Turan “The demand for jute rope and jute cotton is huge in European countries,” he said. A woman worker can earn Tk 5000-6000 each month by making products for the organisation, he added. During the pandemic, the demand for jute products was poor but now the demand has gone up again, he said. Asish Kumar, jute inspector of Satkhira district, said, “People in both Bangladesh and abroad are interested in using jute products as it is environmentally friendly. The demand for jute bags is also high as the government imposed a ban on use of polythene bags.” Read More: Jute sticks: A new source of income for Faridpur farmers. Humayun Kabir, deputy commissioner of Satkhira district, said the jute products made by the women of Satkhira can fetch fame for the country as well as play an important role in the national economy.

All kinds of activities including loading and unloading of goods at Bhomra Land port of Satkhira halted on Sunday over workers’ demand to raise their pay.   The trouble started on Saturday after the clearing and forwarding agents refused to raise the charges for loading and unloading goods by workers. During the work stoppage, scuffles broke out after a section of workers loyal to the C&F agents started to carry a consignment of fruits imported from India to another truck. Hadiuzzaman Badsha, organizing secretary of the association of the agents, said some unruly workers of a faction of the four workers’ unions carried out the attack on the agent’s staffs when they were helping the workers of another faction unload goods from a fruits-laden truck which came from India.   Read: Trade through Benapole land port suspended for Janmasthami Two staffs of the agent suffered severe injury in the attack and they were undergoing treatment at a hospital, he said threatening that they would go for a tougher movement unless the perpetrators are brought to trial.   Ajaj Ahmed Swapon, vice president of the agents’ association, said they used to pay TK 800 to 1000 to the workers for unloading goods from a truck. “We also increased the wage to Tk 1100 following the demand by the workers,” he said adding that two out of the four workers’ unions agreed to the decision. The dissident workers attacked the agents’ staff and the loyal workers when they were unloading the goods from vehicles, he alleged.     Hafizul Islam, a leader of a faction of the workers’ union, said they abstained from the work on Saturday demanding that the pay is raised to Tk 1200 from existing Tk 1000 for unloading goods from a truck considering current market prices of essential commodities. Maksud Khan, general secretary of the agents’ association, said they will register a case in this connection and the next course of action will be decided after holding meeting with the administration.

Satkhira district Department of Fisheries estimated a loss worth Tk 8.28 crore as fish, crab, and shrimp on 1,655 hectares got flooded after the protection dam of Kholpetua river broke partially. The 150 feet embankment, built for the protection of coastal areas collapsed due to high tide on July 14, causing immense suffering to thousands of people from nearly 3,500 families of nine villages in Burigoalini union of Shyamnagar upazila. Read: Death toll from flood reaches 123 Three days passed, but the authority could not yet repair the broken embankment and the damages from the flood continued to increase till Sunday. “We are preparing a list of the fish farmers who incurred losses and it will soon be sent to the concerned ministry,” said Anisur Rahman, Satkhira Fisheries Officer.

Some 3,500 families of ten villages in Shyamnagar upazila have been flooded following the breakdown of a portion of the Kholpetua river dam due to the current of tidewater. The affected people especially women and children have been suffering from an acute crisis of food, drinking water and sanitation. Read: Maximum temperature at 38 degrees, rains likely tomorrowMoreover, a thousand acres of fish enclosures and crops were washed away due to the tidewater resulting in a huge loss of farmers.Locals said the 200 feet embankment, built for the protection of coastal areas collapsed due to high tide on July 14, causing immense suffering to thousands of people of nearly 3,500 families.Locals feared that the new areas of the upazila will be flooded if the damaged embankment is not renovated very soon.

Panic has gripped Golakhali Dwip in Shyamnagar upazila since the sighting of a Royal Bengal tiger in the area near the Sundarbans on Sunday. Locals spotted the tiger wandering near a shrimp farm, owned by a person named Rafiqul, in the village on Sunday. Rattled by the hue and cry, the tiger fled the spot after nearly 20 minutes but the peeple of the village have since been living in fear. Read: Tiger's presence stokes fear among Sharankhola villagers "No one dares to step out of their house after sunset," said Bholanath Mandal, a resident of the village. When contacted, MA Hasan, assistant conservator of forests (Satkhira range), said a joint team of the Village Tiger Response Force and the forest department "is on its toes round the clock". The residents of the village have, however, been asked to stay vigilant, he added.