Amanur Aman

Officials in Kushtia are investigating allegations that votes were cast in the Mirpur municipality election using the names of people who had died and those who had been out of the country.

Some unidentified miscreants have vandalised a statue of British revolutionary leader Bagha Jatin on the campus premises of Kaya College in Kushtia’s Kumarkhali upazila.

For almost 200 years, Fakir Lalon Shah’s philosophy has transcended borders and enriched the minds of Bauls and lovers of his immortal songs across the world. Yet, Lalon Academy that is meant to spread the word of the bard seems to be faltering in doing so.

Believe it or not, it takes just a moderate rain to flood the main entrance and the road leading to Kushtia General Hospital with the dirty water and waste from the adjacent drains.

According to Rab, Kamal Uddin alias Haji Kamal (55) has trafficked more than 400 people to Libya over the last decade. But locals of Kushtia Sadar, where Haji Kamal is from, claim they were unaware of his “misdeeds”.

A bridge built seven months ago at Poltadanga Point of the Mathabhanga River in Chuadanga’s Alamdanga upazila cannot be opened for vehicular movement due to lack of approach road on one side.

Five years into a High Court directive to withdraw poorly engineered three-wheelers from highways in 10 districts under Khulna division, there is no noticeable progress in this regard.

It’s a distinct sugary sweetness hanging in the air that gives away what’s in store at Sarojganj Haat. Sitting Fridays and Mondays year-round, the market is now hustling and bustling with activity from noon and into the night.

Fall armyworm (FAW) has affected maize crop on 40 hectares of land in Chuadanga, much to the worry of farmers in the south-western district famous for cultivation of the winter crop.

After soaring prices of onions, consumers now have to deal with rice prices creeping up over the last few weeks.

“Bring back my son alive.” This is all Rokeya Khatun could say as her relatives tried to console her in her home on Kushtia town’s PTTI Road.

Construction of the multipurpose complex in front of the Shilaidaha Kuthibari in Kushtia, where Rabindranath Tagore lived a part of life, is going on in full swing.

There are six level crossings in Chuadanga town through which trains pass 34 times a day, contributing to intense traffic jam, which is eating up almost five hours of townspeople every day.

A Kabadi match held between two teams, comprising five male players each, has made a day blissful for the people of Mirpur upazila as those having one wife were in a team and those having two wives in another team.

Moyen Uddin was overjoyed after being able to sell his Boro paddy at a government procurement installation at a fair price, thanks to the proac-tive initiative from the Kushtia district commissioner.

Although paddy farmers are poised to get a bigger harvest this year, low prices have sapped their joy in the 10 south-western districts of the country. The amount of paddy the government plans to buy directly from farmers would not help them much as well, they said while talking to The Daily Star yesterday.

After last year's catastrophic flood, farmers in vast chars (sandy land mass in a river) of Padma in Rajbari are now hoping to make up for the loss by growing tomato this year.

A “smart school” in Pirpur village of Chuadanga has created quite a buzz within two months of being transformed.

“I am requesting all leaders and activists of the BNP and its front organisations and alliance partners not to stay at home or go to work. Also, don't sit at any tea stall or any crowded place near the streets and campaign after evening until further instruction.”

Stepping into Chuadanga on Sunday afternoon, the first thing that stood out was the absence of “sheaf of paddy”, the electoral symbol of the BNP.