Khulna
24 shops gutted in Khulna fire
Twenty-four shops were damaged in a fire which broke out at Natun Stand in Khulna's Batiaghata upazila early Wednesday.
‘Amphan’ likely to make landfall on Wednesday evening
Super cyclone ‘Amphan’ lying over northwest bay and adjoining west-central bay at midnight is likely to cross West Bengal and Bangladesh coast on Wednesday afternoon or evening, the Met Office said.
COVID-19: Online classes bring social divide to the fore
The government’s decision to run distance-learning programmes after it shut down educational institutions amid coronavirus outbreak is gradually bringing out the social disparity.
Mild heat wave sweeping over parts of country
Mild heat wave is sweeping over Khulna, Barishal and Sylhet divisions as well as the regions of Kishoregonj, Sandwip, Sitakunda, Rangamati, Feni, Hatiya, Rajshahi and Pabna.
Khulna farmers strike gold with sunflower
Farmers in Koyra upazila of Khulna have been successful in sunflower cultivation on saline soils which used to lie unused after the cultivation of Aman paddy.
The farmers of the upazila had, in fact, started farming sunflower on the saline soils experimentally and they were now expecting good profit from it.
Talking to UNB, some famers said the lands used to lie fallow after the Aman paddy harvesting and they started cultivating sunflower on those in collaboration with the Agricultural Research Institute (ARI) and the yield looks to be very good.
During a recent visit to sunflower fields at Chandipur village and Koyra-2 village under Amadi union in the upazila, the UNB correspondent found one hectare of land covered with yellow sunflower that has brought luck for farmers.
The department has been successful in cultivating sunflower experimentally on saline fallow lands.
"I’ve grown sunflowers on 15 bighas of land," said Subhas Mandal, a local farmer.
As the saline lands used to lie unused after Aman, ARI advised farmers to cultivate sunflower on that. They provided farmers with fertilizers, seeds and pesticides to bring the lands under cultivation.
ARI scientific assistant Zahid Hasan said salinity-tolerant sunflower was cultivated on one hectare of saline land at Koira's Chandipur and Koira-2 villages. “I visited the land regularly and gave the farmers necessary suggestions,” he said.
Earlier, sunflower was cultivated on experimental basis at Uttar Bedkashi Union and Koira-3 village in the upazila, Zahid said.
Salinity-tolerant sunflower was cultivated at the villages under the supervision of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Khulna.
BARI chief scientific officer Dr Md Harunur Rashid said sunflower is a salt tolerant crop. In the south region of the country, vast tracts of land remain fallow after harvesting Aman paddy. “It’s difficult to grow any other crop easily as there’s salt in the soil and water but sunflower can be cultivated with two irrigations,” he added.
In Bangladesh, sunflower cultivation as a crop goes back to 1975. It is currently cultivated — though in a limited way -- in Patuakhali, Rajshahi, Jashore, Kushtia, Natore, Pabna, Dinajpur, Gazipur and Tangail. Its seeds contain 40-45 percent linoleic acid. Since its oil does not contain harmful erucic acid, it is beneficial to heart patients.
26 people infected with coronavirus in Khulna div in 24 hrs
Twenty six more people were diagnosed with coronavirus in Khulna division in the last 24 hours till Sunday.
Man suffering from respiratory problem dies in Khulna
A man suffering from breathing complications and kidney problem, died at the isolation ward of Khulna Medical College Hospital (KMCH) early Wednesday.
First coronavirus death reported in Khulna
A man who died with fever, cough and breathing problems while being taken to Khulna Medical College Hospital (KMCH ) on Tuesday morning has been found positive for coronavirus.
Man dies with fever, cough, breathing problems in Khulna
A 43-year-old man died on Tuesday morning after suffering from fever, cough and breathing complication for five days at Rajapur village in Rupsha upazila.
Dr Ashrafur Rahman, emergency medical officer of Khulna Medical College Hospital, said the man had died before he was brought to the hospital around 9am.
A sample was collected from the deceased and it will be tested soon, he added.
Family members of the deceased said he used to work at a mobile servicing store in the city.
Coronavirus: Restrictions imposed on vehicular movement in Khulna
As the number of Covid-19 cases is on a gradual rise in the country, the local administration has imposed restrictions on the movement of vehicles throughout the district of Khulna.