Autumn Durga Puja, the biggest festival of Sanatan Hindus is approaching. Potters are busy making idols in different parts of the country including the capital around this festival. They are working day and night to shape Goddess Durga, Ganesh, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kartik and Ashur. They don't even have time to breathe.

On Friday (September 23), the Ramana Kali temple and Dhakeswari temple in the capital were visited and the idol artisans spoke to these facts.

Ramana temple has been visited on the surface, as soon as you enter through the gate, you can see in front of the temple, the idol of Durga has been placed with a layer of clay. Basically, the statue is kept here to dry at the end of the work of the second phase. After that, going forward and going towards the back of the temple, you will see idols placed in a row. Meanwhile, idol workers are working together. They don't even have time to breathe. Some are busy making shapes on clay, while others are spending time rebuilding the wounds of various parts of the idol with smooth clay.

Dhakeswari temple was visited on the surface; the second phase of the idol of Goddess Durga was completed and covered with dome. The idol making potters were not seen there. However, speaking to devotees present at the local temple, it was revealed that the potters have gone on to build another idol of the order.

Meanwhile, compared to the previous year, the price of idols has decreased and the price of materials has increased, the idol makers are expressing their anger. At the same time, as the demand for idols has halved compared to the previous year, they are also expressing their apprehension about the profit after the cost.

Potters blame the turbulent situation in the country centered on the movement as the reason for such a situation.

Ratan Pal, an idol artisan at Ramana Kali temple, said that the environment is not good. The state of the country in this situation is worshiped somewhere, nowhere. No one in any committee wants to take any responsibility. How many problems are there? Moreover, I am working for half the price this year as I did last year. Still thinking if the pavilions can be retained.

At first we thought it would work like every year. We also prepared like that. We could not work for more than a month due to the troubles in the country. There is no order like last time. Last year I worked on 16 idols. I am working on 9 idols this year.

In response to the question that what is the maximum order this year and what was the price of a similar idol last year, he said, this year the maximum order is Tk. 80 thousand. This same idol last year was Tk. 1 lakh 30 thousand.

He also said that 6 people have been working together for the last two and a half months. Then there are bamboo-wood-soil-straw and many other things, all at own expense. We also have to buy soil from Aminbazar as cubic fit. The cost of 200 cubic feet of soil to buy sandy soil is Tk. 6 thousand. It takes Tk. 15/16 thousand to buy clay soil. Then there are the costs of bringing and going. I am buying a handful of this bichuli (straw) for 11 taka. A handful of scum won't work for a single hand. Then again there is the van rent. Even if I buy 300 muth, I still have 600 taka for van rent. Then the cost of paint, the cost of buying the decoration of the statue, how much it costs; but the statue has no price.

Vibek Pal said, this time the order of our statue is less. Last year we had 12/13 idol orders. This time the order has decreased. Only received 10 orders. This time there was no order for the statue. In the beginning no one ordered in this situation of the country. In the end, I still ordered them for a small amount.

He added, the owner takes the order, and we do the work. Then they give us a portion of the profit on a monthly basis. But the owner will have nothing in the current market of the statue. If the owner does not have, then what will give us? If the owner lives, we will live.

Due to heavy rainfall, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Rangpur and Kurigram may get inundated in some low-lying areas in addition to Char areas.

The Water Development Board's Flood Forecasting and Warning Center reported such fears on Friday (September 27).

Highlighting the current condition of the country's rivers and streams amid rainfall, Executive Engineer Sardar Udar Rahman said that at present the water of all the major rivers and streams of the country is flowing below the danger level. However, the water in Teesta and Dharla rivers in Rangpur division is increasing. On the other hand the water of Dudhkumar River is stable and flowing below the danger level.

The Flood Forecasting and Warning Center said, as per information from meteorological agencies, there is a trend of very heavy rainfall (89 mm/24 hours) over Rangpur division and adjacent upstream for the next 24 hours. However, the trend of rainfall may reduce in the next 2 days. Due to this, the water level of Teesta, Dharla and Dudhkumar rivers may rise rapidly in the next 24 hours. But it is stable till the next day and may decrease from the next day onwards.

In this situation, the water of Teesta River in Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Rangpur and Kurigram districts may flow in the plain warning limit and some low areas may be flooded in addition to the respective Char areas of the districts. On the other hand, the water of Dharla and Dudhkumar rivers in Kurigram district may flow below the flood plain for the next 3 days.

Meanwhile, the flood forecast and warning center said that the water level of other major rivers of Rangpur division is increasing. As a result, the water level of these rivers in Rangpur division may increase for the next 24 hours, which may remain stable for the next day. However, the water of these rivers may flow below the danger level and the water may recede one day.

On the other hand, the waters of Brahmaputra river and its downstream Jamuna river in Rangpur division are increasing. However, it is flowing below the danger level.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Filippo Grandi has commented that global interest in the Rohingya crisis has increased since Nobel Laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus took charge of the interim government of Bangladesh. He expressed hope that there will be more funding for humanitarian aid to the Rohingyas.

New York local time on Thursday (September 27) at a hotel Filippo Grandi made this comment during his meeting with Dr. Muhammad Yunus.

Calling for a new approach to dealing with the Rohingya crisis, he said the international community should do more to end the plight of more than 10 lakh Rohingyas in refugee camps in Bangladesh.

Professor Yunus' assumption of responsibility as Bangladesh's new leader has increased global interest in the Rohingya crisis and he hopes more funding will be provided for the humanitarian response to the Rohingya.

The World Bank's 700 million dollars is a good starting point, he said. The United Nations is ready to provide more support for the education of Rohingya children.

Professor Yunus stressed the need to find a quick solution to the crisis and do more for the future of the lakhs of Rohingya growing up in refugee camps in Bangladesh.

Gilbert Hongbo, Director General of the International Labor Organization, said in a meeting with the Chief Adviser that the ILO will respond to his call when necessary.

The Chief Adviser said labor reforms were his government's top priority because it is the main driving force in making Bangladesh a world-class manufacturing hub. Professor Yunus said, we are very serious about this. More foreign direct investment will come to Bangladesh to solve the labor problem.

If Bangladesh wants, it can ask the International Criminal Court (ICC) to try the crime against humanity committed in July-August, said Karim Khan, the chief counsel of the ICC.

Local time on Thursday (September 26) in New York, United States of America, on the sidelines of the annual session of the United Nations General Assembly, Karim Khan said this to the chief advisor of the interim government of Bangladesh Dr. Muhammad Yunus.

Professor Dr. Yunus discussed the ways and means of prosecuting the perpetrators of crimes against humanity in the massacres that took place during the mass uprising in Bangladesh last July-August.

Meanwhile, Karim Khan said that Bangladesh can definitely file a complaint in The Hague-based International Criminal Court in the Netherlands. However, he said, rules must be followed for filing a case of crimes against humanity at the ICC.

Karim Khan praised Professor Yunus' three-point proposal to bring new momentum to resolve the Rohingya crisis.

The proposals include an emergency conference convened by the UN chief to review the overall situation, a stronger joint response plan to the Rohingya humanitarian crisis and international efforts to support justice and accountability for the genocide in Myanmar's Rakhine state.