Locals left stranded as bridge collapses
A severely worn-out iron bridge over the Baje Shinduk canal in Barguna’s Amtali upazila collapsed recently, raising concerns over disruptions in the daily commute of around one lakh people from six unions in Amtali, Kalapara, and Galachipa upazilas.
13 May 2025, 18:00 PM
Fish enclosures being set up in reserve forest
Fish enclosures are being set up by clearing reserve forestland in Barguna’s Taltali upazila, allegedly in collusion with some forest officials, according to locals
11 May 2025, 12:48 PM
Over 50 sluice gates need urgent repairs
Farmers in Patuakhali's Kalapara in peril amid saltwater intrusion
11 May 2025, 11:37 AM
A hospital without doctors
The Kuakata 20-bed Hospital exists only in name, as it currently has no doctors, severely disrupting healthcare services for both residents and tourists.
29 April 2025, 18:00 PM
Potters in Patuakhali gear up for Baishakh
With Pahela Baishakh just around the corner, the air in several villages of Baufal upazila in Patuakhali is thick with the scent of wet clay and fresh paint.
11 April 2025, 20:23 PM
‘He’d still be alive had those in power cared’
Ashiqur Rahman Hridoy, 16, was hit with 35 shotgun pellets -- three of them lodged in his head -- during a protest against the state crackdown on quota reform demonstrators in Dhaka’s Jatrabari on July 18.
6 April 2025, 18:00 PM
River land grabbed for farming
Locals have allegedly been encroaching on the Rabnabad river in Patuakhali’s Galachipa upazila to cultivate watermelon.
5 April 2025, 21:00 PM
Beach encroached for hotel project in Kuakata
What began as a makeshift market on the sands of Kuakata Sea Beach in Patuakhali, is now creeping illegally toward the shoreline to make way for a two-storey residential hotel and restaurant, allege locals.
4 April 2025, 20:25 PM
Crumbling buildings put lives at risk
Patuakhali’s Baufal Upazila Health Complex is in a terrible shape due to the dilapidated four two-storey buildings of the complex, along with a lack of specialised physicians.
6 August 2023, 18:00 PM
147 Barguna bridges lie unrepaired
As many as 147 iron bridges out of 200 have been unusable in Barguna for a long time due to a lack of maintenance and repair, causing immense suffering to thousands of locals.
28 July 2023, 18:00 PM
Illegal dams disrupt farming
Eight illegal dams, built for fish cultivation, have caused waterlogging in 500 acres of agricultural land in the Patuakhali Sadar upazila. As a result, Aman cultivation in the area has been disrupted.
28 July 2023, 18:00 PM
Kalapara of Patuakhali: 1,320MW power plant to come on stream next June
Another 1,320MW coal-based thermal power plant is in progress in Patuakhali’s Kalapara area. The first of its two units (660MW each) will come on stream in June 2024 and the second unit in October.
27 July 2023, 18:00 PM
Trees on 50 acres lost in 5yrs
The Shuvo Sandhya Beach in Barguna’s Taltali upazila has been facing serious erosion by the Bay for the last couple of years.
26 July 2023, 18:00 PM
Studying under open sky as school bldg risky
A bunch of students in uniforms attending lectures under a tree -- this is what this correspondent saw when he first stepped inside Uttar Tiakhali Government Primary School in Barguna’s Amtali upazila.
22 July 2023, 18:00 PM
A terminal in ruins
“The terminal is full of potholes, all of which transform into ditches following drizzles. Speeding vehicles often spill that water on our clothes,” shared Abdul Halim, a local who frequently commutes through the Patuakhali central bus terminal.
16 July 2023, 18:00 PM
Milling machine leveraging mung dal farmers
The availability of a simple electricity-run milling machine is helping farmers in Patuakhali double their earnings from a legume crop.
10 July 2023, 00:40 AM
Sonakata Tengragiri Ecopark: Bridge works remain halted for over a year
The Sonakata Tengragiri Ecopark has seen a decline in number of tourists due to the suspension of construction works on the bridge linking the area to Barguna’s Taltali upazila’s FakirHat Canal for one and a half year.
6 July 2023, 18:00 PM
Rakhines continue fight to save their land
Crafted by a group of Rakhines, expelled from the Arakan around 1783, the 240-year-old Srimangal Buddha Bihar (Buddhist temple) in Patuakhali still stands tall today amid chaos as the indigenous community keeps fighting for the full possession of its land.
26 June 2023, 18:00 PM
Mung bean exports take a hit
Mung bean exports from Bangladesh have decreased as foreign buyers are less interested in purchasing the legume this year given their reduced quality and size resulting from severe droughts during the growing period.
23 June 2023, 09:00 AM
Payra port operations slow down for halt in coal imports
Operations at Payra port have slowed down significantly following the temporary stoppage of coal imports for the Payra Thermal Power Plant in Kalapara upazila of Patuakhali.
19 June 2023, 02:30 AM
Plastic waste plagues Kuakata
Patuakhali’s scenic coastal town of Kuakata is grappling with the persistent issue of non-biodegradable plastic waste, including one-time use plastic products and polythene, which are causing significant damage to the environment and neighbouring rivers.
4 June 2023, 18:00 PM
93 teacher posts vacant out of 125
Polytechnic Institute in Patuakhali is facing serious problems due to its shortage of teachers. While 93 of its 125 teacher posts have remained vacant for the last five years, 11 additional teachers have not been paid their salaries for the last three years.
19 May 2023, 18:00 PM
Patuakhali coasts exposed to cyclone
In recent times, numerous houses, educational institutions, markets, cemeteries, and places of worship in Patuakhali’s Piprakhali have been displaced; and acres of land and embankments have been eroded by the mighty Payra river.
12 May 2023, 18:00 PM
Boro Harvest: Good yield delights coastal farmers
Boro cultivation has brought smiles to a good number of farmers at many coastal villages in Barguna, with a bumper yield of the paddy this season.
8 May 2023, 18:00 PM
Tourist spots abuzz with Eid holidaymakers
Many recreational places in the port city were seen abuzz with visitors of different walks of life on Eid holidays.
24 April 2023, 18:00 PM
Kuakata ready to welcome more Eid visitors this year
At least 2 lakh tourists would visit Kuakata in Patuakhali during the holiday from Wednesday to Sunday, assumed local businessmen related to the tourism industry
22 April 2023, 10:23 AM
Kuakata eyeing huge turnout this Eid
While tourism related businesses in Kuakata of Patuakhali are expecting an onrush of travellers amid the ongoing Eid holiday, those in Sreemangal upazila of Moulvibazar have been left disappointed by the low number of advance bookings.
20 April 2023, 21:00 PM
Travellers suffer without direct bus service
As Eid approaches, several lakh travellers from four upazilas of Patuakhali are facing severe inconvenience, as direct bus service between these upazilas and Dhaka have been suspended.
18 April 2023, 18:00 PM