Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) seized 10 cattle, suspected to be brought from India by smugglers, along Shibganj border of Chapainawabganj early Thursday. According to a BGB statement, a frontier team from Monaksha Border Outpost (BOP) conducted a raid at an orchard in Charpaka Setarpara area along Monaksha border under Shibganj upazila after being tipped-off that some Indian cattle were tied up there. 11 fishermen abducted by ‘Arakan Army’ from Bay Smugglers might have brought the cattle from India and kept those for transporting to other places, reads the statement.  A process was underway to hand over the seized the cattle to Chapainawabganj Customs Office, added it.

After a long dry spell,  Chapainawabganj, known as the mango capital of the country, finally experienced rains on Sunday night, bringing much-needed relief to mango growers in the region. Several rounds of rain lashed different parts of the district from around midnight on Sunday, easing concerns among farmers who had been grappling with intense drought. Farmers said mango is the main cash crop of Chapainawabganj, and favourable weather at the beginning of the season had raised high hopes among growers. Trees had flowered abundantly but when the mangoes began to grow the dry spell and lack of rainfall caused stems to dry out, leading to premature fruit drop, they said. Farmers had been irrigating their orchards and spraying water manually in an effort to save their crops. Sunday’s rainfall has brought some relief, they said. Abdur Rakib, a mango farmer from Baliadanga in Sadar upazila, said the weather was favourable early in the season, which resulted in a good number of blossoms and subsequently, healthy young mangoes. “But later, the weather turned adverse. Due to drought and lack of rain, pests attacked the trees, and the stems dried up, causing many mangoes to drop prematurely,” he said. “This rain will help reduce pest infestation and strengthen the stems. Hopefully, fruit drop will now stop.” Kamrul Islam, another grower from Jamtala, said he had been irrigating his orchard to prevent the mangoes from falling. “We didn’t get much rain in our area, little rain feels like a blessing. It will help strengthen the stems and speed up fruit growth,” he added. Dr Yasir Ali, Deputy Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension in Chapainawabganj, said the district recorded around 2 millimetres of rainfall on average Sunday night. “It would have been better if the rainfall was heavier, but even this amount will benefit mango and litchi cultivation,” he said. According to the agriculture department, mangoes have been cultivated on 37,504 hectares of land in Chapainawabganj this season

A 70-year-old man was killed after being hit by a truck in the Dhoppukur area of Mobarakpur union under Chapainawabganj’s Shibganj upazila on Sunday. The deceased was identified as Mozammel Hossain, son of late Joynal, from Chaipara village in Shyampur union. Golam Kibria, the officer-in-charge (OC) of Shibganj Police Station, said police were sent to the scene following the accident. Chhatra Dal leader killed, 10 injured in clash over school committee in Kishoreganj According to police and local sources, Mozammel was riding his bicycle on the way to his farmland when a speeding truck hit him from behind on the Chapainawabganj-Sonamasjid highway, leaving him seriously injured. Later, Mozammel succumbed to his injuries while being taken to Chapainawabganj District Hospital. The truck fled the scene after the accident. 'Legal action will be taken as per the law,' the OC added."

Police arrested three teenagers over allegedly raping an 8-year-old speech impaired girl in Kagmari area of Chapainawabganj’s Shibganj upazila on Friday. The arrestees are Sakhawat Hossain, 19, Abdur Rahman, 14, Babu Mia, 13, all are from Shahbazpur union. The child's father, Monirul Islam, filed a case at Shibganj Police Station accusing them, said Golam Kibria, Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Shibganj Police Station. He said the 8-year-old speech-impaired girl went to offer Tarawih prayers at a nearby mosque on Thursday night. At that time, on her way home after prayers, the accused took her to a nearby mango orchard and violated her in turns.  Road crash leaves college student dead in Sylhet The incident came to light when she shared her ordeal with her parents. Later on Friday morning, locals detained the perpetrators and handed them over to the police. The child was admitted to Chapainawabganj District Hospital for treatment, and the three accused were produced before the court in the afternoon, said the OC

As the demand for mangoes surges during Ramadan, an enterprising farmer in Chapainawabganj is capitalising on the opportunity with off-season cultivation. Rubel Hossain, a 34-year-old agricultural entrepreneur, has turned his passion for farming into a lucrative venture by growing Katimon mango, a variety that bears fruit throughout the year. Six years ago, Rubel embarked on this journey after watching videos on YouTube. He planted Katimon mango trees on 20 bighas of land in Elipur, Nachole upazila. Today, his trees are teeming with ripe mangoes and blossoms, inspiring many locals to follow in his footsteps. Rubel, a resident of Gomastapur upazila, described the scarcity of traditional mango varieties during this season. “Since conventional mangoes are hardly available now, my orchard stands out with trees laden with fruit and blossoms, their branches bending under the weight,” he said. The Katimon mango variety is unique in its ability to produce fruit three times a year, and with the right techniques, farmers can control the harvest timing. “I decided to focus on cultivating mangoes for Ramadan when demand peaks. Last year, I received excellent prices, so I pursued the same strategy this year,” Rubel said. With trees in flowering Chapai looks forward to bumper mango harvest At present, his orchard holds some 250 maunds of mangoes, which he has begun selling at Tk 300 per kg. “I expect to earn around Tk 25 lakh this season, with a net profit of Tk 15 lakh after expenses,” he added. Beyond the profitability, the Katimon mango has proven to be highly sought after. “These mangoes are delicious, and demand is always high. I sell directly from the orchard without any hassle,” Rubel shared. His success has encouraged others, including Yasin Ali, who has planted Katimon mangoes on 25 bighas of land near Rubel’s orchard. “This variety bears fruit thrice a year, but I concentrate on the off-season, particularly during Ramadan when mangoes are scarce, ensuring better prices,” Yasin said. Visitors from nearby areas are also taking interest in the opportunity. Badruzzaman, from Nayadiari in Gomastapur, visited Rubel’s orchard with aspirations of starting his own Katimon mango farm. “Hearing about Rubel’s success inspired me. I plan to consult him before beginning my own orchard,” he said. Bangladeshi mangoes approved for export to China: Embassy Nachole Upazila Agriculture officer Saleh Akram appreciated Rubel’s initiative, saying that the local agriculture department is offering support and guidance to farmers. He said that wider adoption of Katimon mango farming could have a substantial economic impact. “During Ramadan, we notice a surge in imported fruits, which results in foreign currency drainage. Expanding domestic year-round fruit production can benefit both consumers and the national economy,” he said. According to the Department of Agricultural Extension, Chapainawabganj now has 1,792 hectares of land dedicated to Katimon mango cultivation, signalling a promising future for off-season mango farming in Bangladesh.

A man and a woman - alleged to be in extramarital relationship- died by hanging in Gomastapur upazila of Chapainawabganj, said police and locals on Sunday morning. The deceased were identified as Tushi Khatun, 24, wife of an expatriate of Khairabad area under Rohanpur municipality of the upazila, and Rakib Hossain, 28, of Argarhat area of nearby Shibganj upazila. Police and locals said there had long been an extramarital relationship between them and the youth entered the housewife’s room at 10pm. But the woman's mother-in-law sensed the presence of the youth and asked her to open the door of her room several times, but there was no response. Read: Housewife ‘commits suicide’ in Dhaka As she didn’t respond for long, the mother-in-law screamed seeking help of neighbours who rushed to the house and saw the bodies hanging from a wooden pile, connecting two ends of the ceiling, with a scarf through the window of her room, according to them. Tushi was the mother of two children. Gomastapur police station’s Officer-in-Charge Khairul Bashar said being informed they recovered the bodies from the house and sent to the 250-bed general hospital in the district for autopsy.

With the arrival of the first flower buds, mango growers are passing busy time in nursing trees with expectations to harvest a good yield this year in the mango capital Chapainawabganj as the trees have started to bloom. Authorities concerned with the mango cultivation said this year there has been no remarkable adverse impact of the chilly winter in the region and the favourable weather have contributed to the timely blooming of the flowers. Moreover, this is an ‘on-year’ for mangoes, meaning that this year’s mango harvest is expected to be larger than usual. If the weather remains congenial, the mango trees will be covered in blossoms, expect experts. Talking to the mango growers, agricultural officials, and fruit researchers, it has been learned that there is a natural cycle in mango production. When a year sees a high yield, the following year sees a lower yield. The year with a bumper yield is called an ‘on-year,’ while the next one is an ‘off-year.’ This year is expected to be an ‘on-year’ for mangoes. The flowering season typically exists from early Magh (January) to mid-Falgun (February). Though there were a few chilly days at the beginning of Magh, the temperature has risen, helping the blossoming process. Experts hope that by mid-February, mango orchards will be full of blossoms. Bangladeshi mangoes approved for export to China: Embassy Visiting several gardens this correspondent saw the trees covered with emerging flower buds. Some trees already have fully developed buds while farmers are working to care for their trees. One Auhid, a mango farmer from the BSCIC area, said, “This year we haven’t had severe cold or dense fog, which is good for the trees. The weather is relatively favourable now, and my orchard has started to see the first buds.” He hoped that the temperature would rise further and the flowers would develop well. They are taking good care of the orchards to ensure a healthy crop. He expressed concern over the rise of costs of pesticides and other inputs, urging the government to address it. Azam Ali, a mango grower from Nakattitola in Shibganj, also expressed optimism about the good weather conditions for mango flowering this year. Other farmers from different areas, including Azizul from Jadupur and Abdul Rakib from Arambagh, shared similar hopes. Dr. Mokhlesur Rahman, Chief Scientific Officer at Regional Horticultural Research Center in Chapainawabganj, said, "Last year, we saw fewer mango blossoms, so we expect a higher number this year. The weather has been very favourable, especially since we haven't experienced excessive cold or thick fog during the flowering period, which usually hinders the process.” If the weather remains good, they expect most trees to bloom by mid-February, and 80% of the blossoms should appear by then. However, if there is rain during this period, it could damage the flowers, he predicted. Agri-materials to be provided on time to boost mango production: Agriculture Minister Advising mango farmers to spray their orchards with appropriate pesticides and fungicides to protect the blossoms, he suggested proper irrigation if it does not rain in the coming days. Dr. Palash Sarkar, deputy director of Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) the district, hoped that mango farmers would be able to harvest a good yield this year compared to the past year if the weather remained in favour. According to the DAE, the district hosts 37,504 hectares of mango orchards, with the highest concentration in Shibganj upazila (20,100 hectares), followed by Sadar upazila (5,180 hectares). Last year, the district produced 348,278 metric tonnes of mangoes despite the ‘off-year’. This year, farmers are hopeful of harvesting a good crop with the ‘on-year’ benefits.

Amid tensions between the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and the Border Security Force (BSF) of India over the construction of a barbed wire fence by BSF along the Chapainawabganj border a flag meeting was held on Wednesday between the two sides. Lt Col Golam Kibria, Commander of 59 BGB Battalion, said that the BSF started digging soil to build the fence near border pillar 177/2 S in Shibganj upazila two days back. Tension erupts between BGB and BSF over fence construction at Chouka Border As the BGB strongly protested the BSF halted their work twice in response. On Wednesday morning, when the BSF resumed their work, the BGB protested again, leading to the flag meeting. Both sides agreed that no further construction would take place without an agreement between the BGB and BSF headquarters. Lt Col Kibria reassured people  there that  was no cause for concern, as the BGB is guarding the border.

Police recovered the body of a ward-level Awami League leader from a guava orchard in the Nachole upazila of Chapainawabganj on Friday morning. The deceased Kamrul Islam was the son of late Hossain Ali and president of the ward-2 unit of the AL in Nachole union, said Monirul Islam, officer-in-charge of Nachole Police Station. Read: Body of 14-year-old Madrasa student recovered from Kushiyara River Locals said they spotted the body lying in the orchard in the Hakrole area in the early morning and informed the police. OC Monirul said the body was sent to Chapainawabganj General Hospital morgue for an autopsy. The cause of the death will be known after the autopsy, he added.

Authorities have transferred officer-in-charge (OC) of Chapainawabganj’s Gomostapur police station and punished seven other cops after a detained Awami League leader was snatched away from police custody. Superintendent of Police Rezaul Karim confirmed the matter saying that the seven cops were taken off duty attached to District Police Lines last night. However, it could be known where OC Shahidul Islam was transferred. The policemen have been accused of negligence in performing duty. Read: Two accused snatched away after two cops stabbed in Rajshahi Seven plainclothes policemen arrested AL leader Mintu Rahman, president of the ward No-2 of the upazila’s Bangabari union on Thursday evening. A Chapainawabganj court issued an arrest warrant for him earlier. As he was being driven to the police station, his supporters allegedly swooped on the police team in Santoshpur Bazar leaving five cops injured, they said. Sub Inspector Mamun filed a case with the police station in this connection while 13 accused have so far been arrested.