Thakurgaon farmers are grappling with the harsh realities of a market that has seen the price of cucumbers drop to an unprecedented low. What was once a promising season, marked by bumper crops and high initial market prices, has turned into a financial nightmare for many growers. The situation has deteriorated to such an extent that farmers are now selling their cucumbers at a meager Tk 2 per kg, with each maund fetching between Tk 80 to Tk 100. This drastic decline in prices has left many farmers with no choice but to discard their produce, a heart-wrenching outcome for those who have invested time, money, and labor into their crops. The initial optimism among farmers was understandable. At the beginning of April, cucumber prices were relatively high, offering a glimmer of hope for a profitable season. However, as the supply in the market increased, prices began to plummet, leaving farmers in a precarious financial situation. The disparity between the prices at which farmers sell their cucumbers and the retail prices in Dhaka, which range from Tk 50 to Tk 60 per kg, highlights a significant issue within the supply chain.

Farmers in Sharsha of Jashore, have made significant strides in cultivating the exotic leaf vegetable, lettuce, marking a shift towards high-value, safe, and novel crop varieties. This year, foreign varieties of lettuce have been successfully grown in select areas of Sadar and Ulashi Union, signaling a potential boom in the local agricultural sector. Lettuce, scientifically known as Lactuca sativa, is a member of the Asteraceae family and is primarily cultivated for its leaves, though its stem and seeds are also edible. It is a staple in salads and is increasingly finding its way into various culinary creations. Tarun Kumar Bala, an Agricultural Extension Officer in Sharsha, highlighted the growing interest among farmers in cultivating foreign crops that offer better returns compared to traditional, less profitable options. In the agricultural lands of Jadunathpur (Harikhali) block in Panburi village, Chinese lettuce is among the various seasonal vegetables being cultivated, showcasing the diversification of crops in the area.

Two people including popular singer Pagal Hasan were killed and three others injured in a collision between a bus and a CNG-powered auto-rickshaw in Chhatak upazila of Sunamganj early Thursday. Pagol Hasan was a resident of Shimultala Muktigaon area and another autorickshaw passenger Sattar Mia, 52, son of Ahad Ali, hailed from Shimultala-Muktirgaon village.

The newly married couple`s wedding vow was to stay together forever. Little did they know the end would come before the honeymoon days were over. Bangladesh Air Force`s soldier Imran Hossain, who was posted at Dhaka Cantonment, tied the knot with Nipa Aktar, a resident of Rajapur upazila in Jhalakathi, on March 8 this year, were among the 14 people who perished in Wednesday`s road crash in Jhalakathi.