FisheriesAmtali fishers net little hilsa as the 22-day spawning ban nears
Ahead of the nationwide hilsa ban from 8 October, fishers in Amtali and Taltali in Barguna say their nets come up nearly empty, and much of what they catch is small.
Source
Desh Rupantor
Reporting from this source, summarised, rewritten or translated and published under its name · 126 stories
Fisheries
EnvironmentHills cut for a road through Chakaria reserved forest despite forest office objection
About 4 km of an LGED road of nearly 5 km, costing Tk 25.03 crore, runs through gazetted reserved forest used by wild elephants; the forest department asked for work to stop on 22 September, but it has not fully stopped.
FlowersThe milky taro in bloom: a nature note on Bangladesh's dudh kochu
Named for the milky sap that runs from a cut stalk, dudh kochu (Xanthosoma sagittifolium) bears petal-less flowers on a spike inside a sheath up to 30 cm long from May to October, pollinated by insects drawn by a strong scent.
EnvironmentParki beach loses a kilometre of casuarina forest to erosion as geo-bags turn hazardous
Cyclones, waves, pollution and poor management have sped up erosion at Parki beach in Anwara, Chattogram; holes left by protective geo-tubes and geo-bags are causing accidents, and a Tk 548 crore protection project is being designed.
FruitsBangladesh pays South Asia's highest prices for malta and apples, Tariff Commission finds
A Tariff Commission report finds malta selling at Tk 520-550 a kilo in Dhaka against a top price of Tk 160 in India and Tk 130 in Pakistan, blaming 96-122 percent duties, inflated customs valuation and a market held by a few importers.
IslamPiety, not wealth, is the measure of honour: Ali's verse and Surah Al-Hujurat
Quoting a verse attributed to Ali ibn Abi Talib on how wealth hides faults and poverty belittles wisdom, an imam and khatib writes that in Islam the measure of a person's worth is taqwa, not riches.
IslamThree lessons of Surah Ad-Duha: orphans, those who ask, and gratitude
Verses 9 to 11 of Surah Ad-Duha tell believers not to be harsh with orphans, not to rebuff those who ask and to proclaim Allah's blessings; Desh Rupantor sets out the three as a basis for a caring society.
HealthSix more dengue deaths take this year's toll to 249, with 148 in September
Six people died of dengue and 1,608 were admitted to hospital in 24 hours, according to Saturday's health directorate bulletin; admissions this year stand at 84,369.
HealthEight more deaths with measles symptoms, total since 15 March reaches 1,122
All eight deaths in the past 24 hours were in Dhaka division, the health directorate said; 1,152 new suspected and confirmed measles cases were recorded.
EnvironmentAfter 1,400 deaths, Nepal plans to lower four glacial lakes to cut flood risk
After a glacier collapse caused devastating floods in August, Nepal is preparing a project of about $50 million to drain Thulagi, Lower Barun, Lumding Tsho and Hongu-2 lakes through channels and install sensors and early warning.
HealthPlanners say better city planning can help curb dengue and measles
The Bangladesh Institute of Planners says drainage, waste, density, open space, keeping water out of building sites and a One Health approach should sit beside treatment and mosquito control to cut public health risks.
EnvironmentThe changeable hawk-eagle, a rare Bangladeshi raptor that keeps changing its look
Dr A N M Aminur Rahman has seen both the pale and dark forms of the changeable hawk-eagle, a rare resident of Bangladesh, in the Sundarbans and Sherpur, including a mixed pair sharing a nest.
EnvironmentTwo jailed for trapping egrets near Pirganj sal forest, 15 birds freed
A mobile court in Pirganj, Thakurgaon, jailed two men for a year for trapping egrets beside the Kalupir-Thumnia sal forest under the wildlife protection law, and about 15 caged birds were released.