Screening of improve varieties for new areas is necessary to address the soil and environment for improving crop production systems. In this context, six separate field trials were conducted at farmer’s field in Sylhet areas for the two consecutive crop seasons during 2017-18 and 2018-19, respectively to evaluate the performance of improved varieties of crops with the existing cultivars. Each experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design with six dispersed replications. The unit plot size was varied with experiments. The result showed that improved varieties of oilseed crops mustard var. BARI Sarisha-16, soybean var. BARI Soybean-6, groundnut var. BARI Chinabadam-9, sesame var. BARI Til-4 and sunflower var. BARI Surjomukhi-2 performed better under the soil and climatic conditions of Sylhet region. This result reveled that these varieties of oilseed crops could be suitable for higher productivity and economic return.
 Bangladesh Agron. J. 2020, 23(2): 87-95

Shidals are popular salt-free fermented fish products of Sylhet region of Bangladesh due to their distinctive flavor and taste. In this study, the proximate composition, physicochemical and antioxidative potential had been studied of three kinds of shidals prepared from punti (Puntius sophore), kangla (Notopterus notopterus) and bashpata (Setipinna phasa) available in the local markets. The results of the investigation suggested that shidals are a good source of protein content ranging from 30.49% to 38.27%. The pH, moisture, crude fat, ash and carbohydrate content ranged from 6.09%-6.74%, 34.46%-35.33%, 17.48%-21.43%, 06.31%-13.05% and 1.20%-1.73% correspondingly. DPPH radical scavenging activity of punti, kangla and bashpata shidals was found 68.13±2.45, 53.95±1.52, 73.88±1.21 respectively. Total Volatile Base Nitrogen (TVB-N) content ranged from 37.57-57.92 mg.100 g-1. These findings suggested that fermented fish products are a good source of nutrients for the local peoples.

To promote women empowerment, entrepreneurship provide economic power meant to increase women’s access to economic resources in the households. This paper aims to address the effect of entrepreneurship on specific domains of women decision-making power and how it relates to women empowerment. Furthermore, it examines a specific pathway to better understand whether increased access to entrepreneurship translates into empowerment in intra-household decision-making for tribal women of Bangladesh. One hundred and eighty tribal women entrepreneurs interviewed considering two districts of Sylhet division using face to face interview schedules and Focus Group Discussion. The results generally indicate that four socioeconomic factors as education, personal income, training and association with NGOs, were major to becoming entrepreneurs. In some cases the value of decision goes to the husband; in other cases, all goes to the wife alone; in other cases the value of decisions is shared equally husband and wife. Tribal women become more empowered after entrepreneurship and increased their intra-household decision-making from 0.71 to 1.30. It also found that entrepreneurship had a positive and significant impact on women empowerment in the emerging of tribal economies. It was therefore, suggested that Govt. and other relevant organization should take some initiatives as specific enterprise related infrastructure development, accessibility to loans, enterprise based education, and specific market establishment.

Antimicrobial Activity of Peels and Physicochemical Properties of Juice Prepared from Indigenous Citrus Fruits of Sylhet Region, Bangladesh

Location-allocation modeling for emergency evacuation planning with GIS and remote sensing: A case study of Northeast Bangladesh

ObjectiveThis study is concerned with helping to improve the health and care of newborn babies in Bangladesh by exploring adverse maternal circumstances and assessing whether these are contributing towards low...

This study tried to identify the factors that have effects on the academic performances of university students in the Sylhet Region. Student’s perceptions were taken to determine the factors affecting academic performance. Independent t-test was used to find out the mean difference of academic results between two groups of students. Results showed that there is a significant difference between male and female students in the case of academic study time and CGPA; as the female students have higher CGPA than male students by utilizing most of the academic study time. To find out the effective factors, the result showed that students who attend class regularly, feel comparatively less academic stress, submit assignments in due time and spend more time for the academic study were found to have higher academic marks compared to others who do not. By assessing other factors, results showed the students coming from the nuclear family got good marks rather than the extended family. Besides, the students having sufficient access to healthy food, satisfied with the current accommodation level had good academic marks, and students who spent more time in unproductive activities got poor marks in academics. Improving these factors would also influence much of the academic success of students.

A field experiment was conducted at the field laboratory of Department of Crop Botany and Tea Production Technology, Sylhet Agricultural University from August 2016 to January 2017 to select the best suited okra genotype(s) considering growth and yield performance among eleven genotypes viz. BARI Dherosh−1 (control) and 10 exotic (Japanese okra) cultivable in acidic soil conditions. All okra genotypes were evaluated in relation to morphological characteristics and yield performance at defined area of study. The treatment combinations were laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. In almost all parameters, significant variations were observed. Experimental findings revealed that BARI Dherosh−1, JO−2, JO−6 and JO−10 showed excellent performance in germination capacity. The high yielding genotype BARI Dherosh−1 exhibited taller plant at final harvest. Early flowers, individual fruit weight with maximum number of flowers and fruits plant-1 was observed in JO−6. The genotype JO−3 produced the highest number of branches, internodes and leaves at final harvest. The flowering duration was long in the genotype JO−2. The highest fruit setting (%) was observed in JO−1. The longest fruit length and the lowest number of aborted fruits were observed in JO−5 whereas BARI Dherosh−1 showed the largest fruit diameter at 9 DAF and heaviest hundred seed weight. The highest fruit fresh weight observed in JO−4 and the highest fruit dry weight observed in JO−5 at 9 DAF. Regarding fruit yield, the genotype JO−6, JO−10 and JO−3 performed better. The genotypes JO−6 and JO−10 were found to be promising genotypes in acid soil considering the morphological features and yield attributes. Since the variety of our research is suitable for Sylhet region acid soil, if our variety is combined with Sylhet’s cropping pattern cropping intensity will be increase, which will benefit the farmer financially and meet the nutritional needs.

Abstract Most studies of migrants visiting their friends and relatives (VFR) are on homeland visits. In this article, we reverse the transnational optic and study nonmigrants from the country of origin visiting their migrated friends and relatives abroad. We draw on participant observation and 57 interviews with migrant hosts and nonmigrant visitors carried out in London and in the Sylhet region of Bangladesh. Visits from the homeland to the diaspora are found to be deeply meaningful for the maintenance of transnational familyhood, especially at critical moments such as weddings, childbirth, and end of life. They are performative acts of belonging with unwritten rules of mutual obligations and choreographed itineraries to the houses of relatives and friends and to tourist sites. They also represent inequalities in economic status and social mobility between the migrants and their left‐behind relatives and friends in Bangladesh. Most visits are enjoyable for all concerned, but subtle tensions can arise, for instance, in the hosts' difficulty in managing their ongoing working lives with duties of hospitality and acting as guides and in visitors' intense schedule of duty visits to many relatives and lack of agency in stepping out of the Bangladeshi community in London. Furthermore, in an increasingly hostile environment for getting visas to visit the United Kingdom, an unequal and inhumane situation arises of blocked mobility.

The Sylhet region of Bangladesh is undoubtedly a potential hub for industrial development due to its comparative advantage in terms of land, raw materials, capital, location specific advantages for international business, Diaspora network of Sylheti expatriates, etc. The foreign remittance is regarded as an important instrument for economic development of the region. An attempt is made to explore the potential and hindrances of directing remittances in investment sectors. The study has analysed a primary dataset generated by a field survey covering 500 migrant and 250 non-migrant households from 30 clusters of the Sylhet region of Bangladesh. In addition, the study has collected perception-based information from 63 key informants. The study has employed factor analysis to find out the major dimensions for the hindrances to the investment of remittances in productive sectors. The findings indicate that one-fifth households have all the three types (physical, financial and HRD) of investments. The investment spending tops in HRD sector followed by physical sector and by financial sector. All of the major investment sectors enjoy some advantages and suffer from some disadvantages in terms of returns and ease to invest. The factor analysis suggests three main factors labelled as decision-making problem rather than lack of knowledge and consciousness, inadequate infrastructural investment facilities and shortage of capable people & negative attitude of buyers those worked as hindrances of investing remittances in productive sectors in the Sylhet region of Bangladesh. The study recommends for taking actions regarding dissemination of advantageous factors for investment in the Sylhet region of Bangladesh along with undertaking the awareness campaign among potential investors.

Availability of several space-borne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) missions has widened the scope of utilizing radar images for monitoring flooded areas. In this paper, the capability of SAR data was investigated to assess and map flooded regions in Sylhet, located in the northeast part of Bangladesh. Co-polarized (VV) Satellite imageries from 2017 have been collected from Sentinel-1A and Sentinel-1B to use in this study. Relative Humidity (RH), Soil moisture and the amount of precipitation data have been used to predict spatiotemporal inundation in Sylhet region. Digital Elevation Model (DEM) was implemented to forecast the runoff directions of water from mountain after heavy rainfalls in Sylhet region. Results of this study indicated that temporal flood prediction errors could be minimized especially for shorter lead times and overall, they showed the applicability of SAR which in combination with images from SAR, DEM and meteorological data that could be exploited to monitor the flooded areas and give better forecasts.

The study was conducted at the farmer’s field in Sylhet under AEZ 20 during three consecutive years 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19 to determine the productivity and profitability of cropping patterns viz. IP: improved pattern (Mustard-T. Aus-T. Aman rice) by introducing high yielding varieties and improved management practices and FP: farmer’s pattern (Fallow-T. Aus-T. Aman rice). The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design with six dispersed replications. Results showed that the improved pattern with management practices provided 6.88 and 22.84 % higher grain yield of T. Aus and T. Aman rice, respectively; also contributed higher mean rice equivalent yield (9.44 t ha-1) compared to farmer’s pattern.Sustainable yield index (0.36), production efficiency (39.75 kg ha-1day-1), and land use efficiency (75.98 %) were maximum in Mustard-T. Aus- T. Aman rice cropping system on an average. Similarly, the highest mean gross margin (Tk.1,12,425 ha-1) with benefit cost ratio (2.13) was obtained from improved pattern. Three years results revealed that 24% extra cost provides an ample scope of considerable improvement of the productivity with the inclusion of Mustard before T. Aus rice in improved pattern.
 Bangladesh Agron. J. 2019, 22(2): 1-10

Background: Brucellosis is an important re-emerging zoonosis which remains an uncontrolled public health problem worldwide because of serious diminution of manpower, animals and essential foodstuffs. Transmission to human can occurs through contact with infected animals or animal products. It is a poorly recognised health problem in this country though there is persistence of large reservoirs of the organism among livestock such as sheep, goat and cows creating fertile field for unabated transmission. But data on it’s transmission potential and prevalence in this country specially in Sylhet region remained scarce. In the absence of supportive epidemiological information physicians on most of the cases have to depend on their clinical judgement to suggest relevant tests. Objective: The study was conducted to compare the sero-prevalence of human brucellosis among high risk and normal individuals. Methods: This cross-sectional, comparative study was conducted amongst a total of randomly selected 90 participants including 65 high risk individuals during the period of July 2016-June 2017. Brucella IgM and IgG antibody in the serum were determine by Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) technique. Results: Among the 65 participants of the high risk group, Brucella IgM and IgG seropositivity were found in 6 (9.2%) and 32(49.2%) cases respectively. On the other hand, no IgM seropositivity, but 10 (40.0%) IgG seropositivity cases were found in normal group. No significant difference (p>0.05) was found between the groups. Considering occupations, the highest 11 (61.1%) Brucella IgG seropositivity was found among the 18 dairy farm workers (p>0.05). Participants with 0-5 years duration of job had highest seropositivity 7 (70%) among high risk group and 3 (50%) among normal group. No significant association was identified between seropositivity and duration of occupation, education (p>0.05). Conclusions: Based on the study findings, it may be concluded that the extent of human brucellosis should not be ignored, and measures like awareness building, vaccination, transboundary screening needed to prevent and control the disease in animals and limit human transmission. Bangladesh Med Res Counc Bull 2020; 46(1): 35-40

BackgroundObesity is a major public health concern worldwide including Bangladesh. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and associated risk factors of general and abdominal obesity in rural and urban women in Bangladesh.MethodsA total of 450 adult women aged ≥ 18 years were recruited from rural (n = 210) and urban (n = 240) areas of four administrative regions (Chattagram, Dhaka and Rajshahi and Sylhet) of Bangladesh. Both socio-demographic and anthropometric data were recorded in this study. WHO proposed cut-off values were used for the Asian population for defining general and abdominal obesity. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was applied to evaluate the risk factors of general and abdominal obesity for Bangladeshi women.ResultsOverall, the prevalence of general and abdominal obesity was 28% and 49%, respectively. Urban women had a significantly higher prevalence of both general and abdominal obesity (30.9% and 58.6%, respectively) than in the rural women (26.6% and 38.1%, respectively) (p<0.05 and p<0.01, respectively). As region comparison, the prevalence of general obesity was higher in the Dhaka region (39.3%) compared to the Chattragram (23.3%), Rajshahi (23.9%) and Sylhet (3.5%) regions. On the other hand, abdominal obesity was more frequent among participants in Sylhet (72.4%) and Dhaka regions (61.5%), compared to the Chattagram (27.4%) and Rajshahi (37.3%) regions. A wide variation has been observed on the prevalence of general and abdominal obesity in the different age groups of the four regions. In regression analysis, a high socioeconomic status (ref: low socioeconomic level), low education level (ref: higher education), low physical activity (ref: adequate physical activity) and middle age (ref: ≥ 30 years of age) were significant risk factors for general and abdominal obesity.ConclusionsThe prevalence of general and abdominal obesity was higher among participants living in urban areas. Physical inactivity, middle age, high socioeconomic status and low education level were associated with the increased prevalence of general and abdominal obesity. Such a high prevalence of general and abdominal obesity is a health concern for Bangladeshi women; therefore, public awareness and effective health intervention strategies are needed to address these conditions.

Obesity is a major public health concern worldwide including Bangladesh. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and associated risk factors of general and abdominal obesity in rural and urban women in Bangladesh. A total of 450 adult women aged ≥ 18 years were recruited from rural (n = 210) and urban (n = 240) areas of four administrative regions (Chattagram, Dhaka and Rajshahi and Sylhet) of Bangladesh. Both socio-demographic and anthropometric data were recorded in this study. WHO proposed cut-off values were used for the Asian population for defining general and abdominal obesity. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was applied to evaluate the risk factors of general and abdominal obesity for Bangladeshi women. Overall, the prevalence of general and abdominal obesity was 28% and 49%, respectively. Urban women had a significantly higher prevalence of both general and abdominal obesity (30.9% and 58.6%, respectively) than in the rural women (26.6% and 38.1%, respectively) (p<0.05 and p<0.01, respectively). As region comparison, the prevalence of general obesity was higher in the Dhaka region (39.3%) compared to the Chattragram (23.3%), Rajshahi (23.9%) and Sylhet (3.5%) regions. On the other hand, abdominal obesity was more frequent among participants in Sylhet (72.4%) and Dhaka regions (61.5%), compared to the Chattagram (27.4%) and Rajshahi (37.3%) regions. A wide variation has been observed on the prevalence of general and abdominal obesity in the different age groups of the four regions. In regression analysis, a high socioeconomic status (ref: low socioeconomic level), low education level (ref: higher education), low physical activity (ref: adequate physical activity) and middle age (ref: ≥ 30 years of age) were significant risk factors for general and abdominal obesity. The prevalence of general and abdominal obesity was higher among participants living in urban areas. Physical inactivity, middle age, high socioeconomic status and low education level were associated with the increased prevalence of general and abdominal obesity. Such a high prevalence of general and abdominal obesity is a health concern for Bangladeshi women; therefore, public awareness and effective health intervention strategies are needed to address these conditions.

Lawachara National Park (LNP) is one of the most important protected areas in the Sylhet region included in the blessed with the natural beauty of the forest and diverse wildlife of Northeast Bangladesh. This paper explores the possibility of sustainable forest tourism development in the study area regarding the sensible usage of the resource and local resident communities. To plan and properly implement this, various managements and decision-making tools were used, including interviews of local residents, visitors and the staff of the park, with the help of survey questionnaire (primary data) and secondary data acquired from Bangladesh Parjontan Corporation, conference proceedings, books, and journals. Based upon these data the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) were analyzed to identify the required management strategies to improve the sustainable forest protected area tourism in the hilly area. While introducing both domestic and international tourist attractions in the area, the influential factors in the region categorized into the four headings of strengths; weaknesses; opportunities and threats were included in our considerations and strategies or guidelines for a sustained eco tourism development in the region provided. The research findings, the well-established area forest tourism destination with a variety of natural attractions and unique culture of local people retaining ancient culture are the strengths of the area while lack of infrastructures and fundamental facilities are significant weaknesses. To maximize the internal strengths and external opportunities and to minimize internal weaknesses and external threats on the several strategies have been suggested for the sustainable forest protected area tourism development and management. However, there is a scope for the continuous improvement of the SWOT analysis in identifying more viable options for the strategic management of sustainable tourism.

Tipra community is one of the major ethnic groups living in Bangladesh. In Bangladesh Tipra tribes are living in the Chittagong Hills tract, Cumilla, Noakhali, and Sylhet region. They have a distinct culture, socio economic pattern, food habits, marital customs, rites and rituals and other customs from the rest of the people of the country. Their large historical background and lifestyle is manifested in their significant housing and settlement pattern. Their neighborhood and community life is strong though they have a poor economic condition. This paper attempts to search for the settlement pattern and archetype of their settlement. A limited work had been done on settlement pattern of Tipra ethnic group also their socio-cultural condition and socio-economic situation needs more to be revealed .Moreover, this study tries to collect information from a Tipra village called Dolubari Tipra Village at Sreemangal, Moulovibazar. It is expected that after examining all the information about Tipra ethnic group an archetype and settlement pattern of ethnic housing can be construct.

This study measures the performance of power generation plants in Sylhet region of Bangladesh considering twenty-four-month monthly dataset during 2013-14. To measure the performance of those plants, gross electricity generation was considered as output for the stochastic frontier model, whereas fuel consumption, lube oil consumption, auxiliary consumption, cost, heat rate, and hours of run were considered as input variables. Based on the log-likelihood hypothesis test, trans-log production model is preferred over Cobb–Douglas (C-D) production model for this study. The average efficiency of the selected plants is above 90 percent, and there is Sylhet Combined Cycle Power Plant (CCPP) which has an efficiency of about 78.6 percent for truncated normal distribution. In the time-variant inefficiency effects model, fuel consumption, cost, square product of lube oil consumption, interaction between fuel consumption and lube oil consumption as well as auxiliary consumption, and hours of run have a significant positive influence on power generation. On the other hand, some input variables such as hours of run and interaction between cost and heat rate have a significant negative influence on power generation. The estimated values of the time-varying inefficiency parameter η are positive for both the truncated and the half-normal distribution. This result indicates that technical efficiency has declined over the reference period of the study.

Sweet potato leaves are the traditional indigenous vegetables and most economically efficient source of micronutrients in terms of both land required and production costs per unit. This study aimed to compare and identify one variety rich with proximate, microelements and anti-oxidants from three high yielding sweet potato varieties viz. BARI SP-04, BARI SP -11 and BARI SP-12 including one local genotype leaves that helps provide leafy vegetables as well as micronutrients to poor community in lean vegetables production period of Sylhet regions. The tested varieties and genotype showed significant variation in different nutrient contents. In case of proximate composition the highest ether extract was found in BARI SP-11 (7.33% ±0.64 DW) and the lowest in BARI SP-04 variety (3.80% ± 0.42 DW). And the ash contents range was (12.05% ± 0.89 to 16.43% ± 1.02 DW), but the highest was recorded in BARI SP-12 and the lowest in BARI SP-04. In case of crude fiber the highest (19.99% ± 1.06 DW) was found in BARI SP-11 and the lowest (16.73% ± 0.62 DW) in local genotype. The microelements composition result revealed that BARI SP-04 reserved the highest (32.82 ± 4.5 mg 100 g-1) Iron &amp; (2.1± 0.5 mg 100 g-1) Zinc and the lowest (19.40 ± 2.5 mg 100 g-1) Iron and (1.27 ± 0.2 mg 100 g-1) Zn in BARI SP-11 &amp; local genotype respectively. However in case of phenolic compound, the highest 257.00 ± 10.3 mg TAE 100 g-1 DW was found in local genotype followed BARI SP-11 and BARI SP-12 but the lowest amount 218.75 ± 7.8 mg TAE 100g-1 DW was recorded in BARI SP-04. These results revealed that BARI SP-12 leaves reserved average standard proximate, microelements and antioxidant among the studied varieties and genotype. But all varieties leaves except local genotype contained essential nutrients which may favorably well to meet micronutrient deficiency especially lean vegetable production period for poor community in Sylhet region of Bangladesh.&#x0D; Res. Agric., Livest. Fish.7(1): 43-50, April 2020

The study was designed to know the existing stocks under subsistence farming conditions to a specific area in Sylhet districts. Keeping this mind Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute initiated a baseline survey, awareness build-up through training programme and proper technical advisory services during July 2015 to June 2016 in Jaintapur and Balaganj upazilas under Sylhet district. For doing this, a total 200 respondents from two upazilas were randomly selected and interviewed face to face interview of every family in the village through pre-tested questionnaire for collection of information. A focus group discussion was also carried out to supplement the surveyed covering to assess the household asset possession, existing livestock production potentiality, available feed resources and disease prevalence situation as well as to find out the constraints prevailed at farmers level. After completing the base line survey, one hundred beneficiaries were selected randomly from two upazillas (50 from each upazilla) and were given training and demonstration of farm management activities and side by side proper technical advisory services also for creating awareness. The findings of baseline survey information indicated irrespective of the land, manpower, livestock resource and other input that are always being considered as social and economical up-liftman indicator for and specific area, the studied area is not exceptional. Any technology when introduce for specific area for specific purpose most of cases found remarkable improvement. So the scope and opportunity that is prevail in the studied area, being nourished through respective technological intervention for livestock development could be achieved. In this regard especially for livestock development, BLRI developed suitable technological intervention and awareness build-up programme is needed to a large area in different parts of the country to increase the overall existing livestock productivity to a great extent.&#x0D; Bangladesh J. of Livestock Res. 21-25: 56-64, 2018