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🇧🇩 Bangladesh /Disasters & Emergencies

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From Daily Star · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Severe riverbank erosion in Bangladesh's Kazipur upazila has destroyed over 300 homes and affected at least 16 villages.
  • Rising water levels from upstream flows and heavy rainfall are exacerbating the erosion, threatening schools, mosques, and markets.
  • Residents are displaced and calling for government intervention, while officials cite ongoing projects and the need for large-scale solutions for vulnerable char areas.

The Jamuna River is relentlessly consuming homes, farmland, and infrastructure in Kazipur, Sirajganj, Bangladesh. Over the past month, severe riverbank erosion has devoured more than 300 homesteads, impacting at least 16 villages. The relentless advance of the river threatens vital community structures, including the West Chargirish Government Primary School, several mosques, a madrasa, and the local market.

We lost our house to the river. Now we have nowhere to go.

— Romisa BegumA resident affected by the riverbank erosion describes her loss.

Residents like Romisa Begum are left with nothing, lamenting the loss of their homes and facing displacement. Farmers, such as Bahar Uddin, point to illegal sand extraction as a factor worsening the erosion, urging swift government action. The precarious situation of the West Chargirish Government Primary School, where around 150 students study, highlights the immediate danger, with the building standing perilously close to the eroding bank.

illegal sand extraction from the Jamuna had worsened the erosion and urged the government to take immediate protective measures.

— Bahar UddinA farmer alleges a cause of the erosion and calls for government action.

Concerns are mounting over the disparity in protection efforts, with former Mansurnagar Union Parishad chairman Kamrul Hasan noting significant investments on the western bank of the Jamuna while the eastern bank, particularly in Kazipur, remains vulnerable. He called for immediate protective measures for the six unions along the river.

around 150 students study at the school, which now stands dangerously close to the eroding riverbank.

— Tarikul IslamThe headmaster of West Chargirish Government Primary School expresses concern over the school's proximity to the erosion.

Sirajganj Water Development Board Executive Engineer Mokhlesur Rahman explained that the eastern bank is considered a char area, historically leading to protection efforts on the western mainland. However, he confirmed a project for the eastern side is pending approval, with geo-bags being deployed as an interim measure. A large-scale project is deemed necessary for a permanent solution in these char areas. Meanwhile, the local administration has allocated 85 tonnes of rice to support the affected populations across the upazila's 12 unions.

no major river protection work had been undertaken on the Jamuna's eastern bank, "despite significant investments" on the western bank.

— Kamrul HasanA former union parishad chairman points out the difference in protection efforts between the river's banks.
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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