EAM Asaduzzaman

Smuggled Indian cattle are being taken to local markets in large numbers in Nilphamari’s Dimla upazila and adjacent areas for sale as sacrificial animals before Eid-ul-Azha.

As Eid-ul-Azha approaches, online cattle market becomes popular in remote Saidpur upazila of the northern district as this practice ensures maintenance of health rules and social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic.

There has been a stunning slump in demand for meat and eggs since coronavirus arrived on these shores. And the dizzying speed at which the lethal pathogen went about upending life in the country prompted many farms, slapped by unprecedented losses, to cut back on production by more than half.

Tilai Joychondi village in Sadar upazila has already earned the reputation of ‘safe vegetable producing area’ as a good number of farmers are cultivating in environment-friendly way for producing poison-free vegetables.

Nilphamari Medical College, that was established two years ago, is yet to get its permanent campus to run the academic and administrative activities.

The damaged roof of historic ‘nilkuthi’ (house for indigo business in British era) at Notkhana village, three kilometres from Nilphamari town, is yet to be repaired, 40 days after breaking of the part by labourers engaged by the district police.

The third direct train connection with neighbouring India, through bordering Chilahati station in Nilphamari, is likely to start in July this year as half of the work for the purpose has been done in six months.

The government’s archaeology department and the district police are at odds now over damage of historic ‘nilkuthi’ (house for indigo business) at Notkhana village, three kilometres from the district town.

Two government departments have been commissioned the same piece of land that houses a primary school building at Sonarai Bazar in Domar upazila. However, one was assigned to develop it, while the other is going to knock it down.

The sweet smell of fresh Aman paddy fills the air in northern districts during the ongoing harvesting season while womenfolk are preparing to arrange ‘Nabanno Utsab’, the country’s traditional festival marking the winter harvest.

These days the farmers in Nilphamari call ginger by the name “magical crop.”

Potato farmers in five northern districts under Rangpur agriculture region are worried at the start of the cultivation season as the most reliable seeds supplied by Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) meets only 3% of the total demand.

Massive attack of brown plant hopper worries paddy farmers in Jaldhaka and Sadar upazilas of Nilphamari as Aman harvesting season is a couple of weeks away.

A metalled road obstructs flow in Bogra major branch canal under Teesta Irrigation Project at Belaichondi village in Parbatipur upazila as Bangladesh Water Development Board’s (WDB) Saidpur divisional office in Nilphamari failed to follow rules while constructing the canal.

A larger number of farmers in Nilphamari are cultivating early varieties of winter vegetables for a higher profit margin and a reduced risk, as opposed to that of traditional crops such as paddy, jute and maize.

With the objective of providing treatment and healthcare to injured and sick birds, a hospital has been set up on the Saidpur upazila parishad premises.

Mehedi Hasan was once an ordinary worker at a factory in Dhaka’s Mirpur area.

Children of indigenous Musahar community living at Subarnakhuli village on the border of Nilphamari Sadar upazila and Dinajpur’s Khansama upazila are deprived of schooling as their lone institution Subarnakhuli LSS Primary School has remained under lock and key for the last two years.

Once mighty Kumlai river, flowing through different villages of Dimla upazila in Nilphamari, is now left dissected into pieces as influential locals have encroached on it at various points to build houses and other establishments.

It is difficult to predict the weather in Rangpur division as the meteorological offices here are conducting their operations with analog system equipment. Besides, the only radar in the divisional office, which cover eight northern districts,remained out of order for the last seven years.