Continuous erosion of the Madhumati River has put two villages- Churargati and Rajarhat- under Mohammadpur upazila of Magura district on the brink of disappearance.
Over the past week, nearly 1,000 metres of land have been devoured by the river, leaving more than fifty farmers destitute after losing their croplands, trees, and homesteads.
Affected residents Saleha Begum, Pikul Kazi, and Siraj Master said several bighas of their farmland and orchards had already been swallowed by the river.
They said, “Although erosion along the Madhumati River has been continuing for a long time, no permanent measures have been taken. As a result, the river keeps consuming our properties every year.”
The victims further warned without immediate action- such as dumping geo-bags and constructing embankments- the entire area could soon disappear into the Madhumati River.
They alleged despite losing everything, they have not received any assistance from the union parishad or the government.
Ismail Hossain, acting chairman of Babukhali Union Parishad, said, “We have informed the Bangladesh Water Development Board and the relevant authorities about the situation. However, no effective measures have been taken yet. If action is not taken soon, around 300 families from the two villages will lose their homesteads and become destitute.”
Magura Water Development Board Executive Engineer Sarwar Jahan Sujan said the situation has been reported to higher authorities following an on-site inspection. Necessary steps will be taken once they receive the allocation.
