Fisherman lands 23.5-kg pangas, sold for 23,500 taka in Barguna
A fisherman in Barguna's Pathorghata upazila hooked a 23.5-kilogram pangas with his rod and sold it for 23,500 taka at the local market.
English edition
Lifestyle Desk, page 6
369 reports translated from the Bengali original, most recent first. বাংলা সংস্করণ
Migratory birds in survival crisis along Bhola coast, census finds
A weeklong waterbird census found 47,157 birds of 63 species across 53 char areas of the Meghna estuary, but experts warn that human pressure and shrinking habitat are driving migratory bird numbers sharply down…
28 children win bicycles for praying five times daily for 41 days
GALACHIPA, Patuakhali — Twenty-eight children received bicycles Thursday after praying five times a day for 41 consecutive days as part of a mosque-based competition organized by the BNP's youth wing in Galachipa.
Joypurhat village revives traditional 'pata khela' folk game for new generation
JOYPURHAT, Bangladesh — Organizers in Joypurhat's Panchbibi upazila have revived 'pata khela,' a fading traditional rural Bengali game, in a bid to introduce the contest to a new generation.
Battery-powered autos push pedal rickshaws toward extinction in Akkelpur
AKKELPUR, Joypurhat — Battery-powered auto-rickshaws have all but driven the pedal rickshaw out of this town, where only three pedal rickshaws remain in service.
Young Natore farmer draws national flag with rice plants
GURUDASPUR, Natore — A young farmer in Gurudaspur upazila has created the shape of Bangladesh's national flag in his paddy field using two varieties of rice plants.
Mother abandons newborn at Naogaon health center, father files complaint
A woman in Naogaon's Manda upazila left her newborn daughter at a health center hours after birth, leaving the father to file a police complaint.
Wedding called off in Sirajganj after fight over groom's hidden shoes
SIRAJGANJ - A wedding in Sirajganj's Shahjadpur upazila collapsed Friday after a fight broke out over the customary hiding of the groom's shoes, with the groom's party leaving without the bride.
Chhota Sonamasjid draws tourists with centuries-old architecture
CHAPAINAWABGANJ - The Chhota Sonamasjid, a stone mosque built during the sultanate era in Chapainawabganj, is drawing growing numbers of domestic and foreign visitors, residents said.
From rice seller to mill owner: polio survivor Tarikul's journey
CHAPAINAWABGANJ - Tarikul Islam, from Alinagar village in Chapainawabganj's Gomastapur upazila, dropped out of school after the second grade. Stricken with polio in childhood, he lost the use of part of his body -…
150-year-old Makimpur zamindar house decays as families call for preservation
The Makimpur zamindar house in Sirajganj’s Raiganj upazila, built in 1885, draws visitors daily even as its lime plaster crumbles and authorities take no action to preserve it.
Bagha Shahi Mosque: a 502-year-old testament to Bengal's heritage
Built in 1523-24, the Bagha Shahi Mosque in Rajshahi features 10 domes, terracotta motifs and intricate mihrab carvings, and is depicted on Bangladesh's 50-taka note and a commemorative 10-taka stamp.
Bandarban hotels report 95% advance bookings for December tourist season
About 95 percent of hotel rooms in Bandarban have been booked in advance for Dec. 16-25, hoteliers said Friday, signaling a strong rebound for the hill district's tourism sector.
Saiful builds a livelihood in Cumilla making decorative poultry coops
Saiful Islam, a resident of Cumilla's Sadar Dakshin upazila, has lifted his family of seven out of poverty by building decorative coops for chickens and ducks from colored tin and wood.
Wild elephant, calf die during birth in Rajasthali
RANGAMATI — A wild elephant and her calf died during birth in Rangamati's Rajasthali upazila on Tuesday, the forest department said.
Army builds home for impoverished widow in Juraichhari
RANGAMATI — A 65-year-old widow long battling poverty in a remote village in Rangamati's hill district has been given a new home by the Bangladesh Army, restoring hope to her life, officials said.
Exhausted Himalayan vulture falls from sky in Chattogram
CHATTOGRAM — Forest officials rescued an injured migratory Himalayan vulture in Satkania after the bird fell from the sky, exhausted from a long flight, the forest department said.
How a man's reputation gave Noakhali's 'Clean Market' its name
A bustling rural market in Noakhali's Subarnachar upazila bears the name of a 20th-century shopkeeper renowned for his honesty and personal cleanliness, locals said.
A pitha vendor's warm cakes stir memories of home for Noakhali workers
For workers living far from family in Noakhali, a roadside pitha vendor named Milon offers more than rice cakes — his steaming offerings bring back memories of mothers' kitchens, customers said.
Foundation distributes blankets to 250 cold-stricken families in Noakhali
The IFSD Foundation distributed blankets to 250 underprivileged people in the Charbata union of Noakhali's Subarnachar upazila on Wednesday, organizers said.
Master's graduate farms by day, sells jhalmuri by night to support family of eight
Abul Kalam Sumon passed the 16th teachers' registration exam and ranked 65th on the national merit list, but never got a job. The Noakhali man now farms by day and sells jhalmuri by night…
5-year-old Chandpur boy dreams of becoming the next Messi
A 5-year-old boy from Chandpur whose dribbling skills and rainbow flicks have gone viral on social media dreams of becoming a footballer like Lionel Messi.
Chandpur village still has no road after decades of waiting
Kathalia village in Chandpur's Kachua and Matlab Dakshin upazilas, home to about 1,200 people, has no road, leaving students and the sick to wade through knee- or waist-deep water in monsoon and slog through…
Hill women's traditional pinon-hadi finds buyers at home and abroad
Pinon-hadi, the traditional dress of Indigenous communities in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, has become both a cultural symbol and a livelihood for hill women, with sales spreading from Dhaka and Chattogram to overseas markets.
Tourists allowed overnight stay on St. Martin's Island from today
Tourists are returning to overnight stays on Bangladesh's only coral island for the first time in 10 months, with up to 2,000 visitors per day permitted under government biodiversity restrictions.
Climate change, salinity threaten Bangladesh's Sixty Dome Mosque, experts warn
Bangladesh's UNESCO World Heritage-listed Sixty Dome Mosque is decaying rapidly because of climate change and rising salinity, with the mihrab at risk of collapse, researchers and officials say.
Winter clothing distributed to 700 madrasa students in Nawabganj
Nawabganj upazila Jamaat-e-Islami's youth wing distributed winter clothing to 700 madrasa students in Dinajpur on Friday with support from Renaissance Design Ltd.
Rare langur electrocuted in Keshabpur
The only male of a rare langur subspecies in Jashore's Keshabpur was killed Thursday after being electrocuted on a power line while searching for food near the upazila health complex.
Health and nutrition camp held in Mujibnagar
A special health and nutrition campaign organized by Good Neighbors Bangladesh was held Thursday at the Mujibnagar CDP project office in Meherpur.
For 31 years, Swapan Kundu has delivered newspapers in Narail
Newspaper hawker Swapan Kundu has spent 31 years cycling from house to house in Narail, delivering papers in heat, rain and cold. Readers say his dedication is rare in the internet age.
Bangladesh marks death anniversary of anti-British rebel Titumir
Bangladesh on Wednesday marked the death anniversary of Mir Nisar Ali Titumir, the 19th-century rebel who built a bamboo fort and led peasants against the British East India Company.
Hero Alom arrested in case filed by wife
Content creator Ashraful Alam, known as Hero Alom, was arrested Saturday in a case filed by his wife Riya Moni at Hatirjheel police station.
Kushtia farmers' library spreads climate-smart agriculture
In Mirpur upazila of Kushtia, an agricultural library and organization called Krishaker Batighar is encouraging farmers to adopt climate-smart and sustainable farming while training local students.
Hundreds of thousands gather for Lalon festival in Cheuria
Hundreds of thousands of devotees and Baul mystics have gathered at Lalon Sain's shrine in Cheuria, Kushtia, for the saint's 135th death anniversary, observed this year as a national festival.
Bagerhat villager turns balcony into mushroom farm, earns 20,000 taka a month
Shobuj Shikder, 34, returned home after 17 years away and built a small mushroom-growing business on his veranda with 10,000 taka in capital.
Bagerhat women turn coconut husk into export earnings, support 80 families
Eighty women in Bagerhat work at Roji Ahmed's organic-goods factory, hand-crafting bird nests, cat toys and shoes from coconut husk and wood for export to Germany, Japan and Belgium.
Blind for 35 years, Chuadanga mechanic still fixes machines by feel
Mangal Mia of Chuadanga's Alamdanga upazila lost his sight 35 years ago but still repairs bicycles, water pumps and power tillers, refusing to depend on others.
Nine Meherpur youths land police jobs for just 240 taka
Nine young men in Meherpur secured constable positions in the police force on merit, paying just 240 taka each in a recruitment process officials described as fully transparent.
Farmers in Satkhira's Debhata turn fish enclosure embankments into watermelon plots
DEBHATA, Satkhira — About 50 farmers in Debhata upazila are growing off-season watermelons on the embankments of fish enclosures, drawing fresh attention to a model that uses idle land and fetches premium prices, the…
Improved traditional method lifts shrimp farmers' fortunes in Satkhira
KALIGANJ, Satkhira — Farmers in Kaliganj upazila are reaping success raising bagda shrimp with an improved traditional method that has cut disease losses and doubled returns within three months, the district fisheries department said.
Satkhira village tiles handcrafted from clay reach Europe and US
KOLAROA, Satkhira — Decorative tiles handmade from clay in Murarikati village of Kolaroa upazila are being exported to Europe, the United States and other markets, bringing in about 150 crore taka in foreign exchange…
Date palm tapping season opens in Jashore's Chaugachha
Jashore's GI-tagged date palm jaggery season formally opened in Chaugachha upazila on Sunday with a ceremony marking the start of tree tapping for sap collection.
90-foot gate draws crowds at Magura's Katyayani Puja
A 90-foot decorative gate built over the New Bazar bridge has become the main attraction of the five-day Katyayani Puja festival in Magura.
Dost Aid distributes 18 sewing machines to rural women in Chuadanga
Dost Aid Bangladesh Society handed out 18 sewing machines to underprivileged rural women in Jibannagar upazila of Chuadanga district to help them become self-employed.
Baul singer Abdur Rahman Gazi dies at 55 in Khulna
Baul singer Abdur Rahman Gazi, a beloved figure in folk music circles, has died at age 55 at a private hospital in Khulna after a long battle with liver cancer.
Flooded school relies on bamboo bridge in Jashore's Keshabpur
Monoharnagar Secondary School in Jashore's Keshabpur upazila has been waterlogged for months, leaving a makeshift bamboo bridge as the only access for 190 students and staff.
Royal Bengal tiger spotted on Sundarbans foot trail
Forest rangers spotted an adult Royal Bengal tiger on a wooden foot trail at the Harbaria Ecotourism Center in the Sundarbans, an unusual sighting on a tourist walkway, forest officials said.
Kishoreganj Shyama Puja pandal evokes Gaza’s wounded children
A Shyama Puja pandal in Kishoreganj turns into a tribute to the children of war-ravaged Gaza, with more than 200 photos blending festival lights and an appeal for peace.
Widow brews her children's dreams in a tea cup in Madaripur
MADARIPUR — After losing her cancer-stricken husband a month ago, Mahida Begum, 40, is keeping her three children fed and in school by running a rented tea stall in Shimul Tola.
150-year-old Dhemdhemia Kali Mela opens in Birganj with horse and buffalo trade
BIRGANJ — The traditional 150-year-old Dhemdhemia Kali fair has opened in Dinajpur's Birganj upazila, drawing horse and buffalo traders from across northern Bangladesh.
Court orders Salman Shah's death registered as a murder case after 29 years
A Dhaka court has ordered that the 1996 death of film star Salman Shah be registered as a murder case, 29 years on, granting his mother's revision petition against the earlier 'unnatural death' ruling.
Court orders Salman Shah's death to be treated as murder case
DHAKA — A Dhaka court has ordered that the 1996 death of film star Salman Shah be reclassified as a murder case, nearly 29 years after he died, the family's lawyer said.
Jhalkati floating guava market draws tourists and an envoy
A floating guava market in Bhimruli canal in Jhalkati's Kirttipasha union is drawing crowds, with Algeria's ambassador to Bangladesh recently visiting the site.
Bogura's Char Dharabarsha could become a tourist hotspot
Char Dharabarsha, a sandbar in the Jamuna river in Bogura's Sariakandi upazila, has emerged as a scenic destination with potential to become a major tourism site.
Jamalpur's map is being redrawn by river erosion
The Jamuna and old Brahmaputra rivers have swallowed thousands of acres in Jamalpur over decades, and engineers say a permanent embankment costing around 3,000 crore taka is needed to halt the destruction.
Netrokona's 'balish mishti' wins GI recognition
Netrokona's century-old 'balish mishti,' a pillow-shaped Bengali sweet, has been listed as Bangladesh's 58th geographical indication product by the Department of Patents, Designs and Trademarks.
Bengali writer Pramatha Chaudhuri remembered on birth anniversary
JASHORE — Renowned Bengali essayist Pramatha Chaudhuri, born in Jashore on this day in 1868, is being remembered with commemorative events organized by a memorial council.
Bamboo-rod fishing, once a rural tradition, fades from Kurigram waterways
In Phulbari upazila of Kurigram, the traditional method of fishing with bamboo-tied hooks known as nol borshi is nearly extinct as modern nets, traps and the loss of wetlands have reshaped rural life.
Chuadanga holds 'Mothers of July' rally for families of uprising victims
CHUADANGA — A guardians' rally titled 'Mothers of July' and a film screening were held Saturday at the deputy commissioner's office, organizers said.
Jashore marks anniversary of July uprising with tributes to martyrs
Speakers at a Jashore Cultural Center event marking the first anniversary of the July uprising warned that remnants of fascist forces were attempting to regroup, urging student-public unity to safeguard the gains of the…