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A ‘homecoming’ like never before for Opartheeb
The concert scene in the country is blessed with several popular bands which are continuously enthralling fans home and abroad. One of those bands representing the country’s melody abroad, Opartheeb, a Canadian-Bangladeshi band - enthralled its Bangladeshi fans last Friday, as it hosted its first-ever live show on their homeground.
The band, based out of Ottawa, performed in front of their native audiences at the Liberation War Museum (LWM) on Friday night, which was joined by four other popular Bangladeshi bands - Kaaktaal, Apekkhik, AK Rahul and Shonar Bangla Circus.
Even though it was the debut homeground event for the expatriate band, Opartheeb brilliantly performed in this long-cherished concert. Audiences welcomed the band with open arms, showered with love and support at the jam-packed LWM auditorium on Friday, January 26.
Opartheeb started off their journey in the summer of 2008 with Syed Adnan Ali (Kiron) on drums, Salehin Chowdhury (Ucchash) on vocals and guitar, Asfin Haider (Disha) on vocals, Aad-Yean Faisal (Purno) on keyboards, and Ahsan Ali (Jibon) on bass and guitar.
Sharing their amazing experience of the band's debut live concert, Opartheeb's keyboardist Aad-Yean Faisal (Purno) told UNB that the event was a magical journey for the band.
“The beginning of Opartheeb was pretty interesting. I, along with Salehin and Asfin were international students in Canada, while Ahsan and Adnan are first-generation Canadians and siblings, and the thirst for creating music brought us together at Carleton University in Ottawa.”
They all came from a diverse musical background and experiences, which allowed them to be able to blend it all into creating magic. Their love for the language brought them together and their passion for music kept them connected, and they found their passion and identity in symphonic metal to resonate their powerful message to the world.
Opartheeb took the stage for the first time in February 2009 a year after the band was formed. Their performance at the Bangladeshi Students Association’s annual program at Carleton University was a huge hit; since then, the band has done numerous live shows in Ottawa - and as years passed by, their passion for music continued to grow.
“However - our dream was to perform in our homeground, in front of our Bangladeshi fans in Bangladesh. Previously, back in 2012, we contacted Ehsanul Huq Tito, one of the prominent and active faces in the country’s band community, with some of our demo recordings and he suggested that we need to work on our songs.”
“In 2018, he opined positively and suggested adding a specialist for mixing and mastering who has adequate knowledge and work experiences on symphonic and orchestral metal sounds, and we found Sazzad Arefeen.”
Sazzad Arefeen, a renowned guitarist in the country who started developing his career since 1994, wrote songs and kept on teaching guitar with his own guitar instructions institutions which is the largest and strongest in Bangladesh called ‘Guitar Never Lies’ - was the right person for the task, according to Purno. Sazzad has played for popular bands including Metal Maze, Warfaze, and Symphonic Metal pioneer De-illumination, but later decided to step onto international release which has been successfully achieved by Ground-Force, a power metal band known for their 3 Volume Concept album 'Tree of Life’ and other notable works.
The revamped Opartheeb released their self-produced single track ‘Bangal’ on December 16 in 2021. The extremely positive responses from listeners back home moved their hearts, and made Opartheeb believe that music is their pathway back to their root, Bangladesh.
The ‘Homecoming’ concert was, however, in jeopardy due to the political circumstances and national election in the country. After the election, the band and the concert organizers-associates jumped in to organize the concert.
“Upon visiting the organizer and ticketing platform Get Set Rock and promotional partner Bangladesh Band Music Fans Community (BBMFC)’s office, we were amazed to see how tremendously they started coordinating the concert. We got into conversation with several prominent bands in the country, and bands such as Apekkhik, Kaaktaal, A K Rahul and Shonar Bangla Circus were on board for the live concert without any hesitation to perform in our show, even though we were the debutants here. They were amazing to us, and we wholeheartedly enjoyed their performances.”
Over 10,000MW power in 29 projects in the pipeline, despite yawning overcapacity
Some 29 more power generation projects, having a combined capacity of 10,881 MW are now under construction, even as the country struggles to manage the costs of overcapacity to the tune of 40 percent in the power sector.
The recently published “Annual Report 2022-23” of the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB)contains information on the under-construction 29 power generation projects.
It said, “Diversified fuel-based power generation expansion plans are adopted to meet the ever growing electricity demand in Bangladesh. As a part of these plans, 29 power generation projects of capacity 10,881 MW are now under construction, out of which, BPDB is directly implementing 5 projects of capacity 730 MW and 17 projects of capacity 4,230 MW through the IPP sector.”
The annual report further said, “The plan envisages around 20,416 MW new generation addition from July 2023 to December 2027, out of which 728 MW capacity has already been added up to September 2023.”
Many experts in the power and energy sector believe that keeping a 40 percent surplus, adding another 10,881 MW to the national grid in the next three years will further increase the burden of capacity payments, which are written into contracts with independent power producers, as the private sector players owning power plants are referred to.
Power, energy sectors are saddled with $5 billion outstanding payment amid dollar crisis: Sources
Of the total 29 projects, 5 are in the public sector while17 are in the private sector as independent power producer (IPP) projects, the annual report said. The ownership structure of the remaining 7 is not clear, with some hybrid combination possible.
According to available data, the country’s overall power generation, combining grid capacity and off-grid (mainly captive) power, increased by about 5000MW in 2023 to reach a new benchmark of 30,700MW, although with demand failing to keep up, this is expected to lead to higher capacity payments for the government.
This is disclosed in available data from the state-owned Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB), Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) and Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (Sreda).
The BPDB data shows that of the 5000MW new power generation, some 3,343MW was added to the national grid by the import electricity from India and production from newly set up local power plants while about 1400MW came from off-grid captive and off-grid solar power.
It also shows that the country’s installed grid-connected power generation capacity has reached to 25,951 MW on December 30 in 2023 from 22,608 MW in 2022 showing a capacity enhancement of 3343 MW.
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Beyond the national grid, as per BERC data, the captive power generation has increased by 1379MW to reach 4760 MW in 2023 from 3,381MW in 2022.
The captive power plants were mainly set up by industries for their own consumption to get uninterrupted power supply as the grid power does not guarantee uninterrupted supply.
Sources in the power sector said that despite more than 40 percent surplus power generation in the country, still many industries prefer to use their captive power for uninterrupted supply.
Together the new off-grid captive power and grid-connected power has pushed up the country’s total power generation capacity to 30,711 MW in 2023 from about 25,700 MW at the end of 2022.
The officials said the import of 1600 MW from India’s Adani Group and setting up of a number of coal-based new power plants played a vital role in increasing power generation by 5000 MW in a single year.
Although this capacity enhancement in power generation is a pleasing development on the face of it, especially given the country’s long history of struggle with power shortages, BPDB officials are also quick to point out that the growing surplus capacity would also lead to a rise in capacity payments, whereby IPPs get paid even for the electricity the government doesn’t need from them.
They said that the new power plants being added to the grid were set up by the IPPs, or independent power producers (the private sector firms investing in the power sector, by building and often operating the plants), and the BPDB has an obligation to purchase power from them - to not let their investment go to waste or end in loss. Having them exit the power sector due to losses would be a bigger blow to BPDB's long-term vision.
The increasing burden of capacity payments may pinch the government, as well as the consumer, harder if the dollar crisis prevailing in the country persists.
According to the Centre for Policy Dialogue, a Dhaka-based think tank, capacity payments to private, rental, and quick rental power plants have increased from Tk 5,376 crores in FY2017 to as high as an estimated Tk 28,000 crores in FY 2023.
In 2024, surplus electricity generation capacity is projected to rise to 50 percent from the existing 40 percent, as the country’s peak hour demand is about 16,000 MW, according to a top BPDB official.
It would mean even at peak demand, half the plants would be surplus to requirements, and thus lie idle.
Official sources recently said that the power and energy sectors of Bangladesh have been hit by severe cash crunch, especially the US dollars, piling up a huge backlog in payment of their import bills.
According to official sources, the sectors’ cumulative outstanding bills have now jumped to about $5 billion of which the backlog amount in the power sector is about $4 billion (about Tk 43,093 crore), and the remaining 1 billion is in the energy sector.
State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid also admitted the severity of the crisis.
“Actually the crisis is not of local currency. Somehow we can manage it. But the main crisis is of dollar. We’re not getting dollars from Bangladesh Bank as per our needs,” he told UNB in a recent interview.
Read more: Govt working on as how to use hydrogen, ammonia for power generation: Nasrul Hamid
On the eve of Boi Mela, publishers expecting bumper month
The Amar Ekushey Book Fair, or Boi Mela, is almost here. Bangla Academy, the traditional guardian of the month-long book fair, which takes the form of a literature festival, has already allotted stalls and pavilions to the publishers.
Visiting the fairgrounds in Suhrawardy Uddyan and Bangla Academy’s sprawling premises in recent days, UNB observed that the publishers have been working diligently to prepare their stalls and pavilions since receiving their allotment on January 23.
The publishers were seen instructing their workers and carpenters to build the stalls according to their preferred design - some simple and traditional, others quite extravagant.
While talking to UNB at the fair premises, the publishers expressed their hope to see even bigger crowds than previous ones due to the Metro Rail opening in the city. They mentioned the two metro stations located near the fairgrounds (Shahbagh and TSC stations), which will allow people from distant locations in the city to attend the fair easily and smoothly.
Ahmed Munir, the proprietor of Uchhas Publications, is confident this year's fair will be more crowded than ever, and the number of readers and visitors will increase. Many people will come from different parts of the country even, because the overall communication system is much better now. So, readers will be able to come to the fair very easily and in less time than before.
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Climate Change and violence against women should be dealt with conviction, says International Inner Wheel President Trish Douglas
Visiting International President of Inner Wheel Trish Douglas has said pollution of environment, especially plastic contamination, should seriously be handled worldwide to deal with dangerous effects of climate change wreaking havoc everywhere—from Bangladesh to the United Kingdom to China.
In an interview with the United News of Bangladesh (UNB) news agency on Thursday, she discusses an array of issues including climate change, violence against women, human rights and helping street children so that they get a better future.
Douglas is visiting Bangladesh to join a three-day programme in Dhaka to mark the centennial celebration of the international voluntary organisation—Inner Wheel Club. The Inner Wheel District 328 launched the three-day event held at Hotel Radisson Blu in presence of Trish and Constitution Chairman Sissel H Michelsen.
District Chairman Shahina Rafiq led the charge alongside a dedicated team, including 100 Years Celebration Convenor Nazneen Mahbub, and Co-convenors Nahid Nawaz and Nayar Islam.
On Friday, the celebration moved to Ashulia, Savar where Trish Douglas along with Inner Wheel members planted trees, distributed 100 wheel chairs, 100 nebulizers and 200 blankets for the homeless.
During the trip she also witnessed an exhibition of paintings done by underprevileged chindren.
Participants from various Inner Wheel clubs, District-328 EC members, and dignitaries joined the events in Dhaka and Savar making it a memorable experience.
The IIW president, joining the event in Dhaka, talked about top four top carbon polluters of the world—China, the United States, India and the European Union—and says that a country like Bangladesh has to bear the burden despite not being responsible for it.
“If you look at the United Kingdom, everything is being polluted by plastic. If I go back to my childhood, we did not have plastics. Our seas are choking…dolphins are dying, fish is getting polluted, everything is getting polluted. Because this is not biodegradable. This is going to be there forever, for thousands of years. If we don’t stop now, we will really have lot of problems,” she says.
She said old practices were good for the planet.
Read: Bangladesh relentlessly working to combat climate change fallout: Speakers
“Let’s get back to glass bottles. Because glass bottles we can reuse, but plastic, we cannot,” she said.
She said she is urging every Inner Wheel Club in Bangladesh, India and elsewhere across the world to start a campaign against the dangerous impacts of climate change and its causes.
She said she wants the Inner Wheel Clubs to “look after the beaches, check rubbish around.”
“Let the butterflies survive, let the flowers bloom.”
Because of climate change, “tragedies are happening in China, and in 135 years, they have never seen rain like this. The world is drowning, because monsoon is longer, it’s now more intense. The United Kingdom is having horrendous storms, we have never seen before, we are not having great summers. Turkey is having terrible heatwave, that’s unbelievable! That is so intense! It’s burning. We are killing ourselves. We are killing the planet.”
Trish Douglas, a successful hotelier for 30 years in the UK, took over for 2023-24 and launched a campaign under the theme “Shine a light!”
Read: Youth act decisively to concretely adapt to impacts of climate change: Ambassador Masdupuy
Once a den of drug addicts, Ctg DC Park is now a kingdom of flowers
DC Park in Chattogram’s Fouzdarhat has become place of attraction for city dwellers for vibrant display of colourful flowers along the sea beach after the district administration developed the park inspired by Dubai's renowned Miracle Garden.
A month-long flower festival will begin at the park on Thursday (January 25, 2024) evening.The festival, organized for the second time, promises a delightful experience for visitors with a collection of 127 species of exotic flowers. In addition to the floral extravaganza, the event features added attractions such as kite flying, traditional sweets festival, boat exhibitions, art displays, and a music festival.
Read more: A festival of flowers in ChattogramOnce infamous as a drug den near the Fouzdarhat area on the Link Road in Chattogram city, DC Park was transformed into a 194-acre park by the district administration.The various species of flowers capture the attention of visitors, not just through their colours but also through the artistic arrangements.
Despite chilly weather, load-shedding persists amid severe gas crisis
Despite chilly weather, the country is experiencing load-shedding due to fall in power generation because of a severe gas crisis.
The data of the Power Grid Company of Bangladesh (PGCB), which controls the country's transmission system, shows that the country experienced about 322 MW of load-shedding on Wednesday (January 24) when the power generation fell to a level of 9113 MW at 9 am when normally the demand remains relatively lower during the peak winter compared with a day in the summer season.
In the summer, the demand goes up to 16,000 MW.
The PGCB data also shows that at the time the country's demand was 9450 MW and the gas-fired generation was reduced to a level of 4053 MW against its actual capacity of 11708.00 MW which shares 45.12 percent of the country's total grid-connected generation capacity of 25951 MW.
It reveals that in recent days the country experienced the most load shedding of 808 MW on January 21 at 11 am due to the gas crisis.
Available data with the state-owned Petrobangla shows that some 30 gas-fired power plants have remained off due to gas shortages that led to a drastic fall in power generation.
The plants include Unique Meghnaghat 584 MW, Doreen Narsingdi 22 MW SIPP, Doreen Tangail 22 MW SIPP, Summit Meghn. 335 MW, HPS (100 MW), Siddhirganj (2x120 MW), Tongi (80 MW), Aggreko (GSL)-145 MW Rent, HPL ( 360 MW ), HPL ( 360 MW ), Chandpur 150 MW CCPP, APS 450 MW CCPP, Ashuganj 200 MW Modular, APS 450 MW CCPP E, Sikalbaha 40 MW, Raozan (2x210) MW, S.Bazar 100 MW, S.Bazar 330 MW, K.gaon 3 yrs rent 50 MW, S.Bazar 3 yrs rental 50 MW, K gaon 142 MW CCPP, Habiganj 11 MW SIPP, Bibiyana-3 400 MW, F.ganj 15 yrs rent 51 MW, F.ganj 3 yrs rent 50 MW, Bogra 3 yrs rent (20 MW), Bogra 15 yrs rent (20 MW), Baghabari (100+71 MW, NWPGCL Unit - 1,2,3, Aggreko 95MW, and Bheramara 360 MW.
These plants together have a power generation capacity of 6012 MW from which the country is being deprived of.
The data also reveals that Petrobangla has been producing 2582.6 million cubic feet of gas per day (mmcfd) against its total demand of more than 4,000 mmcfd meaning that the shortfall is over 1,500 mmcfd.
Petrobangla officials attributed this crisis to the fall in import of liquefied natural gas (LNG).
"The two LNG terminals have a combined capacity to supply a total of 1000 mmcfd while they are providing 529 mmcfd which is almost half of their capacity", said one official.
"Actually the ongoing dollar crisis has been the main constraint behind the decreasing import of the LNG", he added.
Due to a shortage in gas supply, residential consumers in Dhaka and elsewhere have been experiencing a serious difficulty in their day-to-day cooking while industries are suffering a lot.
Many residents from different areas in Dhaka city alleged that they don't get any gas during the day period and have to wait until midnight to manage their cooking.
Petrobangla and Titas Gas officials said they can not give any assurance for a substantial improvement in the supply until the dollar crisis is fully resolved.
State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid recently said that he hopes the situation in Dhaka city will improve soon.
He also noted that his ministry is taking measures to increase the import of the LPG as 80 percent of the household consumers use this liquefied gas while only 20 percent use piped gas.
‘Will work to be Number 1 in performance among all ministries’: Saber H. Chowdhury
In an exclusive and wide-ranging interview with UNB, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury (SHC) shares insights on the priorities and challenges with which he steps into his new role. The interview took place in the minister’s office at the Secretariat earlier this week:
UNB: What do you see as challenges facing the ministry?
SHC: I think coordinating with all the ministries to protect the environment, or to control water, air and noise pollution, is the biggest challenge. Because, the Department of Environment only sets the standards. As a ministry, we identify problems. But enforcement is not solely our responsibility. Various ministries and departments of the government need to work collaboratively on this matter.
When it comes to dealing with climate change, many other departments of the government, and a number of ministries such as food, water resources, commerce, local government, industry, are involved. So the government has to take that overall responsibility. We work on the coordination efforts.
UNB: What will be your first priority?
SHC: First of all, we are emphasising on identifying how much capacity we have to work on the issues. Does the ministry and agencies under it have the requisite capacity for certain tasks? The name of our ministry is the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Biodiversity is a big issue that needs focus, but it's not in the ministry structure. Therefore, the capacity of the ministry is important to identify.
UNB: Bangladesh is one of the most affected countries due to climate change. What plans do you have in this field?
SHC: Climate change is one of the three issues of the ministry. It's global, we have no hand in it. But we are the most affected. Our strategy is to do as much as we can to reduce the effects of climate change and stand on the side of people. Although we do not have control over carbon emissions, we are not getting the amount of money we are supposed to get. Developed countries or donors do not keep the promises they made in terms of funding.
Proper use of the limited money given to them has to be ensured. We have to implement the action plans that we have in the field of climate change with transparency and cost-effectiveness.
Though Bangladesh is not responsible for climate change, it is one of the worst sufferers of the adverse impacts of climate change. We will work to build global public opinion against climate change.
True sustainable development is not possible without the development of the environment. Therefore, the policies and ideals of Bangladesh will have to be implemented to protect the environment. Despite various global economic and environmental problems, we will work under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to provide a livable environment and a better life to the people of Bangladesh.
Read more: Macron says France will sign agreement with Bangladesh to finance climate-change adaptation, loss and damage in first half of 2024
UNB: What plans do you have to protect the environment?
SHC: We're facing a lot of challenges in the environment. Every year many people die prematurely due to air pollution. Years are being lost from our lives, productivity is being destroyed. There is nothing new to say about it.
So when we talk about sustainable development, the issue of the environment comes into the mainstream. River pollution is a major challenge. Hills are being destroyed. How do we take effective action there? Everyone says it has to stop. But how? ETP plans have been installed in various places. In reality, we have seen that in many cases ETP plans are not maintained. It is launched just before the inspector’s visit. And even if they find violations, the penalty is not punitive enough. It needs to be updated.
I will say though, that the environment and forests are completely under our control. We can't blame anyone else for that. If there is any pollution in these two cases, we are solely responsible for it. Deforestation occurs on a greater scale in Bangladesh than in the rest of the world. So one of the focus points is the conservation of the forest. Another is the restoration of encroached forests.
If the forested area can be expanded, that's also a big deal. The forest is not just a tree, it is also about biodiversity. The whole ecosystem is related. While doing development work, many people say that if 5,000 trees are cut, we will plant 50,000 trees. But that can never actually compensate for what is lost. Because it's not just a tree, it's biodiversity.
UNB: How do you plan to ensure proper use and transparency of climate funds?
SHC: We will ensure that the allocated money actually reaches the affected people. Maximum efforts will be made to bring allocation from the International Loss and Damage Fund at the earliest, followed by its maximum utilisation, and we will ensure transparency in the use of climate fund money.
UNB: Brick kilns are responsible for the majority of air pollution in the capital, which regularly features near the top of the world’s most polluted cities. Do you have any specific plan to address this, as well as the damage they cause to the environment?
SHC: Effective measures will be taken against air pollution to protect public health. To this end, legal action will be taken against the air polluting brick kilns. Work will be done in coordination with the concerned ministries and agencies to control air pollution in Dhaka city. Other factors responsible for air pollution will also be controlled on a scientific basis.
‘Brick Kiln Tracker’ will be used to help identify environmental pollutants and illegal brick kilns and take appropriate legal actions against them. As a result, it will be easy to stop illegal activities by identifying the harmful brick kilns on priority basis. As a result, it will be possible to reduce air pollution caused by brick kilns.
The Department of Environment and National University of Singapore (NUS) have jointly developed the Brick Kiln Tracker based on IT and remote sensing technology. With the help of this latest technology using Artificial Intelligence, the monitoring and enforcement activities of the Department of Environment will be strengthened and successful.
UNB: What initiatives will you take to ease the process of obtaining environmental clearance, that has become a cumbersome process for citizens?
SHC: All necessary initiatives will be taken so that people can get services in time. We plan to simplify the process of obtaining environmental clearance certificates to reduce public suffering. At the same time no irregularities will be tolerated in the issuance of clearance.
UNB: What can we expect in the upcoming 100-day work plan?
SHC: The 100-day action plan will be announced next week. A 100-day work plan will be implemented incorporating various priority activities of the ministry. In particular, necessary steps will be taken to solve the problems of air pollution, noise pollution, water pollution, plastic-polythene pollution and hill cutting. Bangladesh Awami League's election manifesto and Mujib Climate Prosperity Plan will be implemented on priority basis.
The law will be properly implemented for sustainable development and prevention of forest encroachment. International funding will be attempted. We will work to take the Ministry of Environment, Forest, Climate Change to number 1 (among all the ministries) in terms of performance. Transparency and accountability will be established in the activities of the ministry. Besides, active participation of the concerned ministries and departments is needed to prevent environmental pollution, so we will work in coordination with other ministries.
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Faridpur farmers anticipate impressive mustard yield worth Tk 151.38 crore
In Faridpur, a significant increase in mustard cultivation has been reported, with the area under mustard crops expanding by over 2,000 hectares from the previous season. This expansion anticipates a high-yield output valued at an impressive Tk 151.38 crore.
The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Faridpur has noted that mustard now spans 14,842 hectares, targeting a yield of 1,360 kg per hectare. Given the current market rate, which surpasses Tk 3,000 per maund, the district's projected earnings are substantial.
Govt initiative to reduce edible oil imports: Jashore’s mustard farmers anticipate exceptional harvest
Anwar Hossain, the Agriculture Officer of Faridpur Sadar upazila, attributes this growth to the rising prices of edible oils. He observed that mustard cultivation has become a preferred choice in nearly all fields across the district’s nine upazilas. “Farmers are increasingly turning to mustard due to its lower maintenance, availability of resources like fertilizers and medicines, and encouraging government policies,” said Hossain.
The district has seen the cultivation of various mustard varieties, including BARI-14, 15, 16, 17, Bina-4, 8, 9, and Tori-7. This diversification, coupled with the growing demand for pure mustard oil, has led farmers to focus on high-yielding strains.
Local farmers, Ibrahim Mollah and Rahim Matabbar from Ambikapur, highlighted the advice from the Department of Agriculture to plant an additional crop before the boro paddy season. This strategy maximizes the use of fields and aligns with the mustard’s shorter growth period of just 80-90 days.
Farmers expect bumper mustard yield in Khulna
The cost of cultivating mustard ranges from Tk 7,000 to Tk 8,000 per bigha, with the potential to yield 5-6 maunds of seeds per bigha, especially under favorable weather conditions. This efficient production cycle and promising market rates are driving Faridpur’s agricultural sector towards a robust mustard season.
Soaring prices in Khulna markets: A struggle for middle and low-income groups
In the aftermath of the January 7 national election, the kitchen markets in Khulna have witnessed a substantial hike in the prices of daily essentials, severely impacting middle-class and low-income families. This sudden increase in prices is making it increasingly difficult for these groups to manage their household budgets.
Recent market trends show a noticeable rise in the cost of various commodities. In particular, the prices of rice have seen a significant uptick over the past week. Seasonal factors have also led to increased vegetable prices during the winter, and essentials like broiler chicken, flour, pulses, chickpeas, ginger, and garlic are not exempt from this trend.
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Local consumers express a sense of helplessness, feeling like hostages to what appears to be an uncontrollable syndicate. This situation has exacerbated their financial challenges, especially for those struggling to meet daily expenses.
Traders attribute this surge in prices to a poor supply chain. However, residents speculate that certain unscrupulous traders are exploiting the post-election period to unjustifiably raise prices.
A recent survey of Khulna's kitchen markets revealed the following price points: Miniket rice at Tk 68-70 per kg, BR-28 Paijam variety at Tk 65-66 per kg, and local variety rice at Tk 50-52 per kg. Vegetable prices have also surged, with beans costing Tk 80-100 per kg, cauliflowers and cabbages at Tk 50 each, and eggplant, ridge gourd, and bottle gourd ranging from Tk 80 to Tk 100.
The poultry market is not immune to these increases, with broiler chicken now at Tk 220-225 per kg after a Tk 20 increase, and Pakistani chicken at Tk 320-340. Beef prices have also risen, selling at Tk 700 per kg despite authorities setting the price at Tk 650.
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Amirul Islam, a local fish trader, noted that fish prices have escalated by Tk 10-50. Additionally, the cost of chickpeas has jumped from Tk 85-90 to Tk 100-110 per kg, and high-quality pulses are now at Tk 150-160 per kg. Even the price of local onions has risen, now selling at Tk 80-100 per kg, up from the previous Tk 80-90.
This alarming price rise in essential commodities is placing significant strain on the residents of Khulna, with the most substantial impact felt by those in the middle and lower economic brackets.
Govt initiative to reduce edible oil imports: Jashore’s mustard farmers anticipate exceptional harvest
The mustard farmers of Jashore district are anticipating a record production and significant profits this year, thanks to favorable weather conditions and enhanced government support.
The Jashore Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) revealed that the area under mustard cultivation surpassed the initial target of 29,900 hectares, reaching 30,265 hectares. This increase is a part of the government’s initiative to reduce edible oil imports, as highlighted by DAE sources.
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A visit to Churamonkathi village in Sadar upazila showcased vast fields adorned with vibrant mustard flowers. The farmers have adopted Bari-9 and Bari-14 mustard varieties, with the government providing each farmer with one kg of seeds and 20 kg of fertilizers per bigha of land to encourage cultivation.
Jabed Ali, a farmer from Kulia village in Jhikargacha upazila, shared his optimism: “Compared to other crops like paddy, mustard cultivation is less expensive and more profitable. That’s why many of us have chosen to cultivate mustard.”
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The farmers are optimistic about the harvest, which is expected to begin within the next 20-25 days. “If the weather remains favorable, we anticipate a bumper yield,” Ali added.
Zahidur Rahman, another farmer from Keshabpur upazila, echoed this sentiment: “Last year, I harvested five maunds of mustard. With the current conditions, I expect an even greater yield this year.”
Dr. Sushanta Kumar Tarafdar, Deputy Director of DAE, underscored the government’s commitment to reducing edible oil imports. “By increasing the cultivation of Robi season crops like mustard, we aim to achieve this goal. This year, Jashore has seen a record yield,” he stated.
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The government provided seeds and fertilizers to 37,800 farmers across the district, including those in Abhaynagar upazila, where mustard cultivation covered 2,110 hectares.
The concerted efforts of the farmers, favorable weather, and government support have combined to set the stage for a highly successful mustard harvest in Jashore, marking a significant stride in Bangladesh’s agricultural sector.