At least 72 kilometres of embankments across Barguna are at risk of erosion, threatening homes, farmland and fish farms along the Payra, Baleshwar and Bishkhali rivers, while funding shortages have stalled permanent protection measures.
According to the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB), the district has 805 kilometres of embankments across 22 polders. Protecting the vulnerable stretches would require around Tk6,500 crore, alongside another Tk100 crore for emergency maintenance.
Repeated erosion has displaced numerous families, forcing many to seek shelter on damaged embankments.
Ten-year-old Raihan, a Class Four student at Joyalbhanga Government Primary School in Taltali, has watched his family home disappear into the Payra River twice.
“When evening falls, I become frightened. I feel we could be swept away at any moment. The fear eases a little in daylight,” he said.
Raihan lives with his parents and two younger siblings in a makeshift shelter on a damaged embankment. Although he and his brother Rifat, aged eight and a half, can swim, their sister cannot. Fear of erosion keeps the three children close together.
Their mother, Jamila Begum, said the family had lost its home three times in 16 years. Her husband, fisherman Rahman Hawlader, also lost his farmland and a small fish farm to the river.
“We are now landless, living on a damaged government embankment. Without permanent protection, we remain in constant fear,” she said.
At least 40 other families have taken shelter on the same vulnerable embankment.
Sultan Akon, another resident, said he had lost two acres of farmland to erosion.
“Every election, candidates promise permanent embankments, but those promises are never fulfilled,” he said.
In Patharghata, Monowara Begum of Jintala has lost her homestead four times in 11 years. She now lives on a damaged embankment in Tetulbaria.
Another victim, Kabir Majhi, alleged that the BWDB repeatedly carried out weak temporary repairs instead of building permanent structures, wasting public funds while benefiting contractors and officials.
In Kalmegha, Raju Mia, 35, said erosion by the Bishkhali River had left his family with only 40 decimals of land.
“We urgently need concrete block protection. Otherwise, the river will swallow whatever remains,” he said.
BWDB figures show that 26 kilometres of embankments are vulnerable in Barguna Sadar, 18 kilometres in Patharghata, 11 kilometres in Betagi, seven kilometres in Bamna, five kilometres in Amtali and three kilometres in Taltali.
Residents said erosion now occurs throughout the year, while tidal surges sometimes overtop embankments, flooding settlements and damaging farmland with saline water.
BWDB Barguna Executive Engineer Md Abdul Hannan Prodhan said permanent concrete block protection costs Tk90 crore per kilometre.
“Two proposals for riverbank protection using geobags and concrete blocks are now with the Planning Ministry. Further proposals will follow field surveys,” he said, citing inadequate funding.
Barguna-1 lawmaker Mohammad Mahmudul Hossain Waliullah said he was pursuing the matter with the ministry.
“Building permanent embankments was one of my main election pledges. I will fulfil that promise. It is taking some time, but I hope the prime minister will give the matter due importance,” he said.
