Business
Outrage over inflated power bill in Fakirhat tea stall
A small tea stall in Fakirhat upazila of Bagerhat received an electricity bill of Tk 301,746 for the current month, leaving the owner, Apurba Kundu, and his family in shock.
Locals said the family has been running the tea stall at Lakhpur Bazar for years, using only two bulbs, a fan, and a refrigerator. Their usual monthly bill ranged between Tk 250 and Tk 500. Last month, an inflated bill of Tk 1,876 was issued but later corrected to Tk 316.
This month, after receiving the unusually high bill, the owner reported it to the electricity office. Officials later took back the bill and issued a corrected one of Tk 310.
Fakirhat Palli Bidyut Samity’s Deputy General Manager, Ananda Kumar Kundu, admitted it was due to a billing assistant’s mistake and confirmed the staff member had been served a show-cause notice.
Residents allege that such errors are frequent as bills are often prepared without checking meters properly. In December 2023, another tea stall owner in Bagerhat’s Boitpur village was billed Tk 1.38 million, while his actual bill was only Tk 162.
A rare Shapla Pata fish weighing 10 maunds (approximately 370 kg) was caught in the nets of fishermen in Hatiya, Noakhali, creating significant excitement among locals. The fish was auctioned on Thursday at Danardol fish market in Burirchar Union, selling for Tk 131,000 — despite the species being legally prohibited for capture and trade.
The fish was caught late Wednesday night near a gas well in the Meghna estuary. It became trapped in the behundi net of fisherman Kamal Majhi, known locally as “Malaysia Majhi.” The weight of the catch was so unusual that the 15 fishermen aboard were unable to pull the net up on their own, prompting the crew to seek help from a nearby boat. With combined effort, the massive fish was eventually hauled aboard and taken to the local fish market.
Local trader Khabir Uddin purchased the fish at auction, saying that Shapla Pata fish has strong demand in major markets, and he expects to earn a profit of around Tk 20,000.
However, Hatiya Upazila Fisheries Officer Md. Fayzur Rahman clarified that the Shapla Pata fish is listed as an endangered species under Bangladesh’s wildlife conservation law, making it illegal to catch or sell. He stressed that the species plays an important role in preserving marine biodiversity.
Despite the legal restrictions, the capture and sale of the fish sparked widespread discussion across the area.
Bangladesh has increased the prices of all types of fuel by Tk 2 per litre for the month of December. The revised rates will come into effect on Monday, 1 December, according to a notification issued by the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources on Sunday.
The ministry stated that the adjustment follows the country’s automated fuel pricing mechanism, which aligns domestic prices with fluctuations in the global energy market. Authorities say the move aims to ensure fuel supply at relatively affordable rates for consumers.
Under the new pricing structure, diesel will rise from Tk 102 to Tk 104 per litre, octane from Tk 122 to Tk 124, petrol from Tk 118 to Tk 120, and kerosene from Tk 114 to Tk 116 per litre.
Officials have indicated that monthly adjustments will continue in line with global market movements.
Business
GTA 5 Wizard Server Banned: Creator Teuf Says Rockstar Shut Down His $100K Project Unfairly
Rockstar has reportedly banned the wizard-themed GTA 5 roleplay server “SevenWands,” leaving its creator, gaming personality TeufeurSoff (known as Teuf), frustrated and publicly pleading for clarification. He claims the ban is unjustified and undermines more than a year’s work building an original fantasy universe.
In a statement posted on Twitter, Teuf said he spent over $100,000 across 13 months to hire developers and mappers to create a completely unique magical world. According to him, SevenWands had already gained around 10,000 players before Rockstar removed it. While he acknowledges being a Harry Potter fan, he insists the server contains no direct elements from the franchise.
A FiveM modder, citing communication with staff, suggested the takedown may be related to the mod framework rather than intellectual property concerns. GamesRadar+ has contacted Rockstar for official comment but has yet to receive a response.
Teuf argued that everything in the server—from spells to lore—was created from scratch and asked Rockstar to resolve what he calls an undeserved ban. He emphasized that the project was meant to serve the gaming community.
In a separate remark, former Rockstar and GTA lead Dan Houser noted that the gaming industry could move in a “deeply creative” direction or become “overly focused on making money.”