Flowers were not sold in Khulna flower market as before.

Md. Shamim Hossain –

Khulna If you join a penny in total / Buy food for hunger / If two join for half of it / Buy flowers, O fans! / In the market, buy fruits and flowers / He only satisfies the hunger of the body, / The hunger of the heart and soul is destroyed by flowers / That is the interest in the world! Satendranath Dutta wrote the poem about flowers. But the common people of Khulna are struggling to buy those flowers. There are no customers in the flower shop. The two flowers that are being sold are also quite bargains. Buyers are satisfied with buying one or two flowers. On Monday evening, the day before Paola Phalgun and World Valentine’s Day, such a picture was seen in the flower market located in Shantidham Mor area of Khulna Nagar. The sellers of the only big flower market in Khulna Nagar say that flowers are sold less than half compared to other times. There are no buyers. But in other years, on the night before Valentine’s Day, February 14, flower sales would take place. They were struggling to deal with customers. They think that due to the increase in the prices of goods, money may have decreased in people’s hands, and this has reduced the demand for flowers. After going to the market in the evening, it can be seen that most of the shops are decorated with different kinds of flowers in the hope of buyers. The fragrance of rose, gerbera, rosin is spreading everywhere in the market. Small bouquets and crowns are beautifully arranged in the shop. The employees of the shop are busy making these. However, the buyers for whom so many arrangements are not seen. Most of the shopkeepers are sitting and spending idle time. They are relieved when two buyers come. Focusing on selling flowers. But buyers also want to take that opportunity. They visit different shops and buy flowers at bargain prices. Roses are being sold from 20 taka to 80 taka depending on the quality in the shops. And gerbera and rajnigandha are being sold at 20 to 40 taka. Shopkeepers said that the demand for these flowers is usually high on Valentine’s Day. The owner of the flower shop in that market. Mohiuddin said that more than 1 lakh rupees worth of flowers were brought in the last two days on the occasion of Payala Falgun and World Valentine’s Day. Usually there is buyer pressure from the afternoon of February 13 in other years, but this time there is none. It seems that people’s love towards the price of everyday goods has also been suppressed. Whether half the flowers will sell or not, there is doubt. Anadi Gain, an employee of that shop, said that every year, a lot of roses are sold on Rose Day. But I don’t know why relatively less flowers have been sold this year. Looking at the situation, it seems that this Valentine’s Day will also be the same. The name of the shop next to it is ‘Juichameli Garden’. Different types of roses are arranged in front of the shop to attract customers. Several employees are standing in front. Sajjadur Rahman, an employee of that shop, said that there are very few customers. The price of flowers should have gone up more as the prices of goods have gone up, but they haven’t. Still not getting buyers. When we talked to some other shop owners and employees in the vicinity, they said that although flowers were sold less yesterday, there is a possibility of more sales on Tuesday. For this reason, they are preparing the work by making bouquets and crowns in advance. It is normal for the price of flowers to increase two to three times on the occasion of Valentine’s Day. However, due to the low demand of buyers, no one is able to increase the price of flowers abnormally. Two young women were trying to buy roses by visiting different shops in that market. At this time they said that the price of flowers is higher than normal days. Trying to find flowers at a lower price in any shop.

The damage caused to the Sundarbans by mixing coal-fertilizer with water.

Md. Shamim Hossain –

Khulna Cargo ships carrying coal and fertilizers regularly sink in the Mongla port channel and the river adjacent to the Sundarbans. As a result, they mix with water. Because of this, the risk to the environment of the rivers and the biodiversity of the Sundarbans is increasing. 500 tons of manure from the last sunken lighter ship has mixed in the water in the herbaria of Pasur river. Several times earlier, cargo ships carrying fertilizers and coal have sunk. Manure washed into the river, and the coal was under water for a long time. Environmentalists have expressed concern in all these incidents. Environmentalists believe that there is a threat to the environment of the rivers and the biodiversity of the Sundarbans. They fear long-term damage to the Sundarbans. Khulna University Department of Environmental Science Professor Dr. Abdullah Harun Chowdhury said, ‘Fertilizer and coal are harmful to the health of the environment. They pose a risk to the natural environment, including water. It also has a negative impact on biodiversity. It is necessary to check regularly what kind of reaction is caused by mixing the fertilizer with water. Chairman of Save the Sundarban Foundation. Sheikh Faridul Islam said, ‘This fertilizer is used to prevent the attack of insects and diseases on plants. This fertilizer contains 50% potassium. With the loss of aquatic resources, there is a danger of damaging the environment of the nearby Sundarbans. The ‘Shahjalal Express-2’ ship sank in an accident on the night of 25th January last. It contained 500 tonnes of fertilizer imported by BADC. From February 6, the owner of the ship started efforts to rescue it. Azahar Siddique, the owner of the ship, said, “Dive teams from Mongla and Khulna were given the responsibility to rescue the lighter ship and the fertilizer in the ship after 11 days. At first they tried to remove the manure from the ship. But no fertilizer was found. The entire fertilizer has sunk into the river. SM Mostak Mithu, the owner of M/s Union Enterprises, said, “Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation was importing this fertilizer from Canada. However, due to an accident, the ship sank in Mongla on January 25 with fertiliser. Mongla port sources said that the ship had left for Jessore’s Nawapara on January 25 with 500 tonnes of fertiliser. It attempts to overtake an alien vessel named Supreme Valor in the Herbaria-8 area. At that time, the ship hit the foreign ship in thick fog. When the lower part of the ship was damaged, water entered the engine room. It should be noted that in the beginning of 2007, a cargo with fly ash sank near Koira. Fly ash contains most of the chemical constituents of coal. In early 2015, a cargo of MOP fertilizer sank in Sharankhola area. Mop fertilizer is red in color. which is a threat to aquatic life. On October 27, 2015, the mini cargo Zia, which was leaving for Jessore with 510 metric tons of coal from Herbaria 3 of Mongla port, sank near the silo in Jaimanirghol area of the animal channel of Mongla port. In this incident, Forest Officer Matiar Rahman filed a case in the name of cargo owner Dikh Khan alias Hossain Khan and master Bhulu Gazi as the plaintiff. It is mentioned that there has been a loss of 5 crore rupees in this case. The police then arrested Master Bhulu Gazi and sent him to jail on October 29. A forest department inquiry said the cargo sank due to the negligence of the master and driver. On March 19, 2016, ‘MV Sea Horse-1’ carrying 1,235 metric tonnes of coal sank near the ‘Harintana’ forest patrol post of the Shala river in the Sundarbans’ Chandpai range. In January 2017, the coal-laden MV Aichgati sank near Hiranpoint Fairbuoy. In that incident, 2 GDs were made at Mongla police station. On April 15, 2018, while leaving the mother vessel with 775 metric tons of coal, the lighter submarine named ‘MV Vilas’ capsized and sank between buoy No. 5 and 6. On the night of February 27, 2021, a cargo loaded with coal sank in Pasur river at Mongla port. On November 15, 2021, MV Fardin-1 sank with coal in Pasur river. On March 3, 2022, ‘MV Naomi’ with 600 tonnes of coal sank in Pashur River. 8 sailors of the ship including two security personnel came ashore safely. And on January 25, 2023, around 3:30 pm, the Sarbozhai ship sank in Herbaria area of Mongla port. There were nine crew members on board. All were rescued alive by Coast Guard West Zone.