FruitsAs winter set in at the end of December 2025, a falling number of date palms and tappers meant West Bengal could not get enough date palm sap, and good date palm jaggery was scarce.
EnvironmentIn late December 2025 Rangpur was still waiting for the hard cold it once had from November; the officer-in-charge of the Rangpur weather office said winter was "shifting" and named climate change, a lack of cold winds and a dry year among the causes.
With cold-related illness rising in Sunamganj, the children's ward of the district hospital holds about twice as many patients as beds, and many are treated on the floor.
Migratory bird numbers in Rajshahi have fallen sharply this winter, and observers and researchers blame habitat destruction on the Padma chars, human disturbance and light pollution.
The Meteorological Department says one or two cold waves may bring lows of 6-8°C in the second half of December, and a low could turn into a cyclone.
With the first chill of winter, gachhis in Manikganj are busy cleaning and trimming date palms so they can collect sap for patali gur and the famous hajari gur.
Rain and gusty wind from a low-pressure system in the Bay of Bengal have flattened ripe and half-ripe aman paddy on thousands of hectares in Lalmonirhat.
Rising salinity is making farmland in coastal Satkhira unusable, pushing farmers out of agriculture while experts urge salt-tolerant varieties and better water management.
Fishermen landing at Alipur-Mohipur are catching plenty of hilsa since the sea ban ended, but most are small and bad weather is driving boats ashore.
Rough weather has kept fishermen from the sea since the fishing ban ended, driving them into debt while hilsa prices stay high.
Lack of rain and a prolonged heatwave have caused a litchi yield failure in Madhukhali, Faridpur, leaving growers and seasonal traders facing heavy losses.
After a long dry spell, a light drizzle in Chapainawabganj on Friday has brought relief to mango growers, and the agriculture department calls it a blessing for the crop.
On World Forest Day, several students share their views on deforestation, climate change and what Bangladesh must do to protect its forests.
