Mintu Deshwara

Under a quizzical social forestry project undertaken right in the middle of a natural forestland in Moulvibazar’s Kulaura upazila, the Forest Department is jeopardising age-old natural forestry as well as livelihoods of several hundred people living in the area for generations.

Long considered ominous creatures in our culture, vultures, in reality, play one of nature’s most crucial roles and keep the ecosystem in order.

When the government is observing National Fisheries Week countrywide, a section of unscrupulous fishers continues to catch native fish and aquatic lives erecting bamboo fences across the Laghata and Palak rivers in Kamalganj upazila of Moulvibazar.

Farmers are enjoying tremendous success cultivating papaya in fallow lands in Sreemangal upazila of Moulvibazar district, thanks to bumper yield and a reasonable market price.

Shahbazpur Tea Garden in Sreemangal upazila of Moulvibazar district has recently introduced a new variety called honey tea.

Twenty-five-year old Khadija Akter of Moulvibazar’s Barlekha upazila got married in Chauddagram of Cumilla. She moved to her father’s house a few months ago as she was pregnant.

Sylhet division is littered with numerous haors, waterfalls, swamp, hills, and tea gardens that make it an attractive tourist destination.

Haor areas of Sylhet division usually remain inundated for most of the year but there are high grounds where Boro paddy can be grown.

Weavers and clothing entrepreneurs in Kamalganj upazila of Moulvibazar usually take on loans to make Manipuri clothing items as they get ready for higher sales ahead of Eid festivals.

Centenarian Sami Lakachiang is considered the oldest person in Kakrachhara Punji, an indigenous village located in Moulvibazar’s Kulaura upazila.

A number of seasonal cattle farms have sprung up at villages found in Sylhet’s haor areas thanks to the availability of naturally-grown grass in the region, providing a much-needed alternative to paddy cultivation.

Watermelons of all shapes and sizes are currently available in the market but other than satisfying a customer’s craving for the refreshing fruit, its cultivation provides a spectacular view.

While cases of Covid-19 infection are rising every day amid the ongoing countrywide lockdown of most businesses and factories, the labour-intensive tea plantations remain open without ensuring minimal health rules.

An age-old “Kathaler Haat”, or jackfruit market, in Brahmanbazar area of Moulvibazar’s Kulaura upazila is seeing poor sales this year as recent restrictions on public movement aimed at containing the spread of Covid-19 have kept buyers at bay.

Balikandi of Moulvibazar sadar upazila has a long history of being a hub for leather trade in the greater Sylhet division. Even a few years ago, hundreds of people were making a living out of it.

Tea garden owners in Bangladesh have urged the government to keep the industry out of the purview of the strict nationwide lockdown beginning on July 23.

When the death toll due to the highly infectious Delta variant of Covid-19 has been on the rise across the country, the largest weekly livestock market in Nabiganj upazila of Habiganj continue to be arranged without ensuring any health safety rules.

A proposal to build the country's third safari park in Lathitila forest of Moulvibazar has raised concerns among environmentalists as the construction of roads and structures will threaten the biodiversity of the forest area.

Covid-19 patients suffer immensely as there is no intensive care unit (ICU) facility at the hospitals in Habiganj.

Deaths of rare and endangered species of wildlife under the wheels of vehicles and on train tracks are rampant in Moulvibazar’s Lawachhara forest.