Sushanta Ghosh

Despite a bumper yield of watermelon in Barishal division, the top producer of the popular summer fruit, farmers and traders fear massive losses because of the new containment measures aimed at curbing the rise in coronavirus infections.

Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital (SBMCH) in Barishal -- one of the major healthcare centres in the country’s southern region -- lacks handwashing facilities for visitors at outpatient departments that have seen a swelling crowd in recent times, increasing the risk of rapid transmission of coronavirus from there amid the second wave.

With coronavirus infection rate increasing in Barishal every day, the district administration has instructed people to strictly follow health guidelines.

In line with the recent government mandate, launch fares on the Barishal-Dhaka launch route were supposed to increase by 60 percent. But much like the overcharging going on in land, passengers of the waterways say they are being charged at least twice the usual fare on the route.

More than 58 percent of brick kilns are being operated illegally in Barishal division, according to the Department of Environment.

As a young bookworm, he loved studying and dreamed of being a school teacher.

They gave up the common thinking of enjoying a relaxed retired life. Instead, they chose to do something worthwhile, not just for themselves, but for people around their community.

A young man was tortured at Barishal Divisional Narcotics Control Office (BDNCO) about five months ago, investigators have confirmed after primary probe.

The investigation committee has primarily found that a youth was tortured at Barishal district office of Narcotics Control Department.

In something of an unexpected turn in the region’s history, local musical instrument production, especially of harmoniums, have found a home in two villages of Barishal’s Baraipara upazila.

The promise of convenience that the new Electronic Finance Transfer (EFT) system brought for freedom fighters has turned sour within two months of its introduction. Due to an indexing issue, around 15,000 freedom fighters living in five metropolitan areas are yet to receive their allowances for the first month of the new year.

An official of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), Barishal has allegedly been cornered and threatened by a retired police official when the ACC deputy assistant director went to the court premises on Wednesday to testify against the former constable accused in a corruption case.

In line with its tradition for the last couple of years, school children from Barishal city’s Rasulpur Char wrapped the area with Language Day fervour by constructing 30 Shaheed Minars.

The Shaheed Minar is a symbol of Bangladeshis’ love for their mother tongue and the struggle they endured for the language. It imbues the love for language in younger generations who did not witness the language movement of 1952.

Gani Mia’s Gamchha is a brand of traditional cotton towel, or gamchha, made by hand in Jhalokati district of Barishal division. About 70 to 80 years ago, some 360 families that lived in the district’s Basanda area were involved in weaving.

Anglers and fisheries officials have reported a decrease in the number of fish caught from Barishal’s rivers, though for different reasons according to each party. As a result, supply of local fish to major fish markets has come down noticeably.

At a time when the entire country is trying to cope with financial difficulties, things are getting tight for around 700 officials of Barishal City Corporation (BCC) -- but it is not simply due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Launch operators in the country’s waterway-dependent southern region think the completion of Padma bridge will have little impact on their business.

Supporters of a ward-level ruling party leader in Barishal on Wednesday night blocked a highway, shut down bus and launch services for over three hours.

The Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation’s (BSCIC) industrial city in Barishal is yet to utilise its full potential due to a lack of infrastructural facilities.