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🇧🇩 Bangladesh /Disasters & Emergencies

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From Daily Star · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Residents in Kamalganj, Moulvibazar, fear their homes could be washed away by river erosion following the collapse of a flood protection embankment.
  • A 30-foot section of the Dhalai river embankment and an adjoining road recently caved in, displacing families and disrupting communication.
  • Authorities have inspected the damage and assured residents that emergency repair work has begun, with proposals for permanent protection submitted.

Residents in Kamalganj's Kamalganj upazila, Moulvibazar, live in constant fear as river erosion intensifies, threatening to swallow their homes. Despite receding floodwaters of the Dhalai river, a significant portion of the flood protection embankment has collapsed, leaving over 100 households at risk and residents like Anhar Mia expressing dread: "Every night we go to bed fearing our house could disappear into the river before morning."

The recent collapse of approximately 30 feet of the embankment and a nearby road in the Kumrakapan area on July 16 has already displaced at least five families and severed communication. Residents report that erosion continues even as water levels drop, with the embankment crumbling in multiple locations. "People thought the danger would pass once the water receded, but the embankment is collapsing in one place after another," said Dildar Hossain, highlighting the ongoing threat.

Every night we go to bed fearing our house could disappear into the river before morning.

— Anhar MiaA resident describing the constant fear of losing his home due to river erosion.

With no immediate protective measures in place, some locals have resorted to reinforcing the riverbank with bamboo poles and fencing. The damage is extensive, with a large section of the embankment washed away, severing the road, and several houses now perilously close to the eroding bank. Fresh cracks have appeared, and erosion is also threatening a cemetery in Alepur village.

Jamshed Mia suggested that sand extraction near vulnerable sections may have exacerbated the erosion, though he noted residents do not object to legal extraction. He urged for swift protective measures. Local officials, including Kamalganj Sadar Union Parishad Chairman Abdul Hannan and Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Asaduzzaman, have inspected the affected areas and informed the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB). Md Khaled Bin Olid, BWDB executive engineer, confirmed that emergency repairs have commenced and project proposals for permanent protection of other vulnerable stretches have been submitted.

People thought the danger would pass once the water receded, but the embankment is collapsing in one place after another.

— Dildar HossainA resident commenting on the persistent threat of erosion despite falling water levels.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Daily Star. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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