Trapped between salinity and debt
The Daily Star (National) · ৮ নভে, ২০২৬
Burdened with mounting debt, thousands of people in Satkhira’s Shyamnagar upazila, one of Bangladesh’s worst climate-hit areas, are struggling to sustain their traditional livelihoods as rising salinity continues to transform the coastal landscape.
পুরো খবরটি পড়ুনThe Daily Star (National)-এর ওয়েবসাইটে খুলবেমূল কথা
The Daily Star (National)-এর প্রতিবেদন থেকে হুবহু উদ্ধৃত
- Over the decades, sea-level rise, recurrent cyclone surges, and the expansion of brackish-water shrimp and crab farming have steadily pushed up salinity across the region, contaminating groundwater and rendering once-fertile farmland barren.
- By 2024, salinity intrusion degraded two-thirds of the 17.03 lakh hectares of cultivable land in 18 southern districts, affecting an area nearly six times the size of Faridpur, shows the Soil Salinity Map of Bangladesh 2024 prepared by the Soil Resources Development Institute (SRDI).
- The survey, conducted among 270 households in Gabura, Burigoalini, Kaikhali, Munshiganj, Padmapukur and Ramjan Nagar unions in July 2025, found that about 75 percent of borrowing came from NGOs and the rest from local moneylenders.
বিসিএস ও ভর্তি পরীক্ষা তথ্য ছক (Exam Fact Sheet)
হাই-ইল্ড ডেটাপ্রিলিমিনারি নৈর্ব্যক্তিক ও লিখিত রচনায় কোটেশনযোগ্য সুনির্দিষ্ট পরিসংখ্যান
| ধরন | তথ্য | প্রতিবেদনের যে বাক্য থেকে নেওয়া |
|---|---|---|
Figure | 17.03 lakh | “By 2024, salinity intrusion degraded two-thirds of the 17.03 lakh hectares of cultivable land in 18 southern districts, affecting an area nearly six times the size of Faridpur, shows the Soil Salinity Map of Bangladesh 2024 prepared by the Soil Resources Development Institute (SRDI).” |
Figure | 50 lakh people | “An estimated 50 lakh people have been internally displaced in Bangladesh, with natural disasters and climate impacts serving as the primary drivers, according to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre report 2026.” |
Figure | 500 people | ““The first one in Itagachha area had around 500 people in 1994.” |
Figure | 4,500 people | “Now, nearly 4,500 people live here,” he said.” |
শব্দভাণ্ডার ও বাস্তব প্রয়োগ ছক (Vocabulary Matrix)
5টি মূল শব্দএই প্রতিবেদন থেকে বাছাই করা শব্দ: অর্থ, উচ্চারণ ও প্রতিবেদনে ব্যবহার
The act or process of expanding.
“Over the decades, sea-level rise, recurrent cyclone surges, and the expansion of brackish-water shrimp and crab farming have steadily pushed up salinity across the region, contaminating groundwater and rendering once-fertile farmland barren.”
Recurring; happening time after time.
Synonyms: perennial, repetitious, persistent
“Over the decades, sea-level rise, recurrent cyclone surges, and the expansion of brackish-water shrimp and crab farming have steadily pushed up salinity across the region, contaminating groundwater and rendering once-fertile farmland barren.”
The quality of being saline.
Synonyms: salineness, saltiness
“Burdened with mounting debt, thousands of people in Satkhira’s Shyamnagar upazila, one of Bangladesh’s worst climate-hit areas, are struggling to sustain their traditional livelihoods as rising salinity continues to transform the coastal landscape.”
Capable of being borne, tolerated or endured; bearable or endurable.
“SRDI officials said that in some affected areas, salinity levels reached up to eight times the tolerable limit of two deciSiemens (dS/m), a scientific unit used to measure soil salinity, indicating the amount of dissolved salt present in the moisture surrounding plant roots.”
To make something dangerous or toxic by introducing impurities or foreign matter.
“Over the decades, sea-level rise, recurrent cyclone surges, and the expansion of brackish-water shrimp and crab farming have steadily pushed up salinity across the region, contaminating groundwater and rendering once-fertile farmland barren.”
Words chosen from this story. English meanings: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA), via the Free Dictionary API.
IELTS Reading practice
Read the passage, then answer the questions. Every answer is in the passage.
Burdened with mounting debt, thousands of people in Satkhira’s Shyamnagar upazila, one of Bangladesh’s worst climate-hit areas, are struggling to sustain their traditional livelihoods as rising salinity continues to transform the coastal landscape.
Over the decades, sea-level rise, recurrent cyclone surges, and the expansion of brackish-water shrimp and crab farming have steadily pushed up salinity across the region, contaminating groundwater and rendering once-fertile farmland barren.
SRDI officials said that in some affected areas, salinity levels reached up to eight times the tolerable limit of two deciSiemens (dS/m), a scientific unit used to measure soil salinity, indicating the amount of dissolved salt present in the moisture surrounding plant roots.
A part of a report by The Daily Star (National).Read the full story
Question 1: Complete the sentence. Write ONE WORD from the passage.
1.Burdened with mounting debt, thousands of people in Satkhira’s Shyamnagar upazila, one of Bangladesh’s worst climate-hit areas, are struggling to sustain their traditional livelihoods as rising _____ continues to transform the coastal landscape.
Writing practice
IELTS Writing Task 2 style · Topic: Debt & development
Some people think developing countries should borrow from international lenders to build roads, water supply and power plants. Others say the debt is too risky. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
Write a short answer of 4–5 sentences (30–250 words). State your opinion clearly, give a reason, and use a fact from this story as an example.
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পাঠোত্তর প্রতিফলন ও সারসংক্ষেপ অনুশীলন (Active Recall)
প্রতিবেদনটি পড়া শেষ করার পর মূল ভাবটি নিজের ভাষায় ২-৩ বাক্যে লিখুন। এটি বিসিএস লিখিত ও ভর্তি পরীক্ষার ফোকাস রাইটিংয়ে আপনার নিজের ভাষায় উত্তর লেখার সক্ষমতা বহু গুণ বাড়িয়ে দেবে।