Chuadanga, July 5 -- At first glance, it looks harmless. Standing two to three feet tall with lush green leaves and clusters of tiny white flowers, the plant resembles coriander. But beneath its innocent appearance lies a growing threat to agriculture, public health and livestock.

Parthenium (Parthenium hysterophorus), one of the world's most invasive and toxic weeds, is spreading rapidly across Chuadanga, prompting concern among farmers, agricultural scientists and health experts.

They warn that failure to contain it now could have serious long-term consequences.

Field visits and local inquiries found the weed spreading across all four upazilas of the district-Chuadanga Sadar, Alamdanga, Damurhuda and Jibannagar.

It is increasingly v...