The northern region of Bangladesh accounts for over one-third of all the rice produced in Bangladesh, but the current cultivating season faces a tragic scene as continuous cold waves in the months of November and December has caused a sudden and significant drop in the temperature, resulting in the parish of young rice plants which would have been used to grow the season’s Boro paddies. In most cases, the plants did not attain their natural growth as the planting season passed by. Collecting seeds and growing new plants have caused the rice farmers to fall behind on schedule by 15-30 days. This delay is feared to have a significant impact during the rice harvesting season, the ideal time of which is right before the monsoon. This setback might lead to the flooding of paddy fields from incessant rainfall and destruction of the rice plants, similar to the prior experiences of the northern region and Sylhet in 2017.
The photos have been taken across Rajshahi, Pabna, and the northern regions of Bangladesh.
Photographs by Din Muhammad Shibly & Md Soliman
