A cherished rural tradition came to life on Monday as the 15-day ‘Bou-Jamai Mela’ commenced at Barabari Abul Kashem Degree College in Lalmonirhat. The fair, held annually, highlights the cultural heritage of the locality, offering a vibrant mix of festivities, food, and traditional practices. The event was inaugurated by former deputy minister and BNP Rangpur Divisional Organizing Secretary Asadul Habib Dulu. Scheduled to run from December 16 to December 31, the fair provides a nostalgic glimpse into village life with stalls featuring traditional sweets, pitha (rice cakes), and a wide variety of fish. At the heart of the fair is a unique cultural practice. Sons-in-law purchase large fish from the fair and bring them as gifts to their mothers-in-law, who prepare special meals to celebrate the occasion. Convener of the organizing committee, Faruk Siddiqui, highlighted the importance of this practice, saying it symbolizes familial bonds and honors rural traditions. Sugarcane crushing launched in Faridpur setting production target of 5,000MT The opening day witnessed a significant turnout, with visitors arriving from across Lalmonirhat and neighboring districts. Families dressed in colorful attire thronged the venue, enjoying the lively atmosphere. Traditional stalls did brisk business, selling popular items despite high prices. The demand remains high because people value preserving this tradition, said a vendor. The fair also features rural games, adding to its charm and drawing visitors of all ages. Faruk Siddiqui emphasized the fair’s role in safeguarding cultural heritage. “This event is about more than just commerce; it’s about reviving the heritage of rural Bangladesh. It allows the younger generation to connect with our traditions and learn about near-extinct fish species,” he said.  

A 68-year-old woman died after her blanket caught fire from a kerosene lamp at her house in Hatibandha upazila of Lalmonirhat district on Saturday night. The deceased were identified as Oichon Bewa, wife of late Jamir Uddin of Burasardubi village. According to locals, the blanket of Oichon caught fire apparently from a kerosene lamp and she couldn’t escape due to her old age.  Two killed in Sylhet bus-auto rickshaw collision Later locals brought the fire under control. Hatibandha Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mahmudunnabi said police were sent to the scene for investigation.  

The onset of winter has brought a sharp rise in the sale of winter clothes on the footpaths of Lalmonirhat, with people from all walks of life flocking to buy seasonal garments. With the arrival of chilly weather towards the end of the Bengali month of Agrahayan, the demand for winter clothing has surged in both shopping malls and temporary street shops, particularly in Kaliganj upazila of the district. Low-income groups were seen crowding Tushvandar Hawkers' Market in Kaliganj, where a wide variety of affordable winter apparel, including sweaters, coats, blazers, mufflers and more were on display. During a recent visit to the market, this correspondent observed a bustling scene with hawkers calling out to attract customers. The market offered winter clothing for people of all ages, including Sweaters for women: Tk 200–400; men’s jackets: Tk 300–500; children’s clothes: Tk 50–400; mufflers: Tk 40–150; warm caps: Tk 50–100; blankets: Tk 200–500. Despite the variety of items, vendors said their sales had been slow initially. But with the chilling cold intensifying over the past few days, customer turnout has surged significantly. Children’s winter clothes were reported to be the most sought-after items, followed by jackets, sweaters and blankets. Narsingdi clash leaves 2 UP members killed    Mariam Akter, a housewife shopping at the market, shared her experience, saying, “The cold has intensified from evening till dawn, so I am buying winter clothes for my children. But the prices are slightly high compared to the quality.” Meanwhile, Rajarhat Weather Observatory Office has predicted colder days ahead. Subol Chandra Sarkar, acting officer of the observatory, said, “In Bangladesh, cold weather is usually felt in December and January. As the days go by, the temperature will naturally decrease, and the cold may become more noticeable after December 15.” With the weather expected to grow colder, both customers and vendors are preparing for an even busier season in the coming weeks.  

A four-year-old girl died in a road accident in Kaliganj, Lalmonirhat on Friday afternoon. The deceased, Tithi Rani, was the daughter of Bishnu Roy of Chabala union’s Dhakaiyatari area of the upazila. Kaliganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge Selim Malik said that the incident occurred in the Dhakaiyatari area of Nithak, Chabala union and officers were dispatched to the scene. According to locals, Tithi was riding with her parents on an easy-bike when a Nosimon, heading towards Chaparhat, collided with their vehicle. 1 dead, 3 missing after speedboat-barge collision in Barishal The impact crushed the child, who died on the spot. Her parents sustained minor injuries. No written complaint has been filed as of yet. Legal action will be taken upon receiving a complaint, the OC said.  

The northern border district of Lalmonirhat is experiencing an intense cold spell as dense fog blankets the region, throwing daily life out of gear. Vehicles were seen moving with headlights on to avoid any accident, said transport workers. Until 8 am on Friday, the entire district was shrouded in thick fog and such condition has been seen for the past couple of days. Nirmal Chandra, a rickshaw puller from Dulhali area of Kaliganj, said the past two days had seen heavy fog and amid chilly weather. His income has fallen as many are not venturing out into fog. Jewel Mia, a resident of Kakina under Kaliganj upazila, informed that the bone-biting cold is badly affecting people in char areas (river islands) while many were keeping warm by lighting fires with straw and dried leaves. Local met office predicts that the temperature may drop further as the district is experiencing light rainfall accompanying the fog during the early hours. Read: Cold grips Kurigram as temperature falls amid mounting miseries

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina distributed 18,566 more houses  among the homeless and landless families across the country under Ashrayan-2 project on Tuesday (June 11, 2024), five days before the Eid-ul Azha. She opened the distribution of the houses alongwith ownership documents through a videoconference from her official residence Ganabhaban, connecting to Kaliganj upazila of Lalmonirhat, Eidgaon upazila of Cox’s Bazar, and Char Fashion upazila of Bhola. Besides, the PM declared 70 more upazilas, including all upazilas of 26 districts, free from landlessness and homelessness people. With this declaration, the total number of landless and homeless-free districts has reached 58 and the number of landless and homeless-free Upazilas has gone up to 464 across the country. The houses were constructed under the government’s flagship housing programme, Ashrayan-2 Project, aiming to ensure housing for all. PM Hasina's Ashrayan project to set another milestone Tuesday On Tuesday, the prime minister distributed 1,282 houses in Lalmonirhat, 261 in Cox’s Bazar, and 1,234 in Bhola districts. Earlier, the prime minister distributed 63,999 houses in the first phase, 53,330 in the second phase, 59,133 in the third phase, and 39,365 in the fourth phase of the Ashrayan-2 Project across the country. Under the project, each landless and homeless family is provided with a semi-pucca house on two decimals of land, with ownership jointly granted to both husband and wife. Each house consists of two bedrooms, a kitchen, a toilet, and a veranda. The rehabilitation programme for homeless people was initially introduced by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1972. Following that PM Hasina initiated the Ashrayan project in 1997 to provide ownership of houses and lands to homeless and landless people. Since its inception, the Ashrayan project has rehabilitated a total of 771,301 families, benefiting an estimated 3,856,505 individuals. Across all programmes, 4,340,000 people from 867,904 families have been rehabilitated, including 2,910,265 people from 582,053 families under the Ashrayan Project. Read more: Ashrayan project: PM Hasina to provide free houses, lands to 18,566 families

The body of a Bangladeshi youth, who was shot dead by Indian Border Security Force (BSF) along Aunghorpota border in Patgram upazila of Lalmonirhat, was handed over to Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) on Sunday (January 28, 2024) night.   Patgram police station’s officer-in-charge (OC) Ferdous Wahid said Indian Border Security Force (BSF) handed over the body of Rabiul Islam to the BGB through Tin Bigha Corridor in the upazila after an autopsy in India on Sunday night. Read: BSF hands over body of BGB member after two days of killing Later, the body was handed over to the victim’s family, he said.   Earlier on Sunday afternoon, a flag-meeting between the border forces of the two countries was held when  the BGB condemned the killing. Rabiul, 33, son of Afzal Hossain of Dangarpara village under Dahagram union of the upazila, was gunned down by the BSF along Jashore’s Benapole border on Sunday, within a week of killing a BGB member by them. Read more: Another Bangladeshi shot dead by BSF along Lalmonirhat border

People in Kurigram and Lalmonirhat districts have been experiencing bitter cold as 15 degrees Celsius temperature is prevailing in the districts, causing sufferings to the poor people. In Lalmonirhat, a bitter winter breeze accompanied by dense fog has been prevailing in the district, disrupting the normal life of people, especially the poor people. A thick fog covered the sky of the five upazilas of the district from Thursday night. Vehicles were seen plying the roads with headlights on during daytime while the children and elderly people were seen shivering due to a lack of warm clothes. Import-export through Lalmonirhat’s Burimari land port off for Kali Puja The farmers preferred to stay at home as they failed to go to their respective fields due to the shivering cold. As the weather is getting colder, more people are getting admitted to the hospital with cold related diseases. Nirmalendu Roy, Lalmonirhat Civil Surgeon, said mostly children are getting admitted to the hospital with pneumonia and other cold related diseases. Lalmonirhat health division has taken steps to provide special medical services. Tk 7 crore bridge in Lalmonirhat left unused due to no approach road In Kurigram, people are experiencing the bone-chilling cold as the weather office has recorded 15.0 degrees Celsius temperature in the district. The day labourers are worried about warm clothes and work due to the cold. Lalmonirhat Sramik League activist killed in attack by BNP men, locals say Subol Chandra Sarkar, officer-in-charge of Kurigram Razarhat Observatory Centre, said the Met office recorded 15.0 degrees Celcius on Sunday but it may abate in the coming days.

Residents of areas along the Teesta river in Aditmari upazila of Lalmonirhat district are living in fear of losing their homes and crops as erosion has taken a serious turn. Several thousand families living on the riverbanks were facing waterlogging issues due to the torrential rainfall last week. Several hundred hectares of cropland were damaged during this period. But when the floodwater started to recede, panic gripped them as erosion took a serious turn in seven to eight points along the left side of the river. Over the past few days, 25-30 houses, croplands and several establishments were washed away due to the erosion, forcing many families to live under the open sky. Rising river waters trigger flooding, erosion concerns in Kurigram Many have shifted their valuables including furniture on the roadside and near the flood protection dam. Meanwhile, residents of Gobordhan and Garibullatari villages under Mahishkhocha union of the upazila saw severe erosion at the dead night on Tuesday near the embankment. A number of establishments including a mosque have gone into the river. The families of Rabiul, Bhuttu and Yeakub Ali are living under the open sky as their homesteads were washed away due to the erosion. Locals said if the authorities do not take any steps immediately, the embankment would also go into the river. Villagers spend sleepless nights as Madhumati river banks erosion intensifies in Faridpur  They also demanded constructing a permanent dam along the riverbank. Sunil Kumar, executive engineer of Lalmonirhat Water Development Board, said erosion occurred in seven-eight points along the riverbanks while erosion at spur dam-2 took a serious turn. They have informed the matter to the high official concerned, he said. After visiting the affected areas, GR Sarwar, Upazila Nirbahi Officer of Aditmari upazila, said a list of affected people is being prepared and assistance will be provided as per the list. Teesta erosion worsens in Kurigram; 50 homes swept away

Low-lying areas in Lalmonirhat district have been flooded as the Teesta River is flowing 20 cm above the danger level at Dalia point due to continuous rainfall for the last few days until Monday (August 14, 2023) and the onrush of upstream water. The water flow at Dalia point of Teesta Barrage, the country's largest irrigation project, was recorded at 52.35 cm at 6:00 am on Monday, 20 cm above the normal level of 52.15 cm. Read: Untimely Teesta River erosion perplexes people in Lalmonirhat People living near the barrage and on the river’s banks said the water flow of the river increased due to heavy downpour and the onrush of upstream water for the last few days. All sluice gates were opened to control the water flow of the river, they said. They said several hundred families have already been stranded and low-lying areas of the left banks of the river inundated after the river swelled. Mominur Rahman, a resident from Mahiskhoca union under Gobordhan area, said they have to take boats to go to others' houses due to flood. Read: Flood situation improves in Bandarban Amsar Ali, who lives on the left river bank, said they are passing nights amid fear as the water is increasing in the river alarmingly. Asfa-Ud-Doula, executive engineer of Water Development Board at Teesta Barrage’s Dalia Zone, said the low-lying areas on the banks of the river were inundated and all gates of the Teesta Barrage were opened to control the flow of water. Read more: Flood situation in Ctg, Feni, Bandarban and Cox`s Bazar may improve in 24 hrs: FFWC