Erosion by the Dakatia River has intensified in Bagadi Union under Chandpur Sadar upazila, putting hundreds of families and vast stretches of cultivable land at grave risk.
Locals said the erosion has been going on for nearly two decades, but its severity has increased in recent weeks, threatening over 500 houses across 200 families, alongside many farmlands.
A visit to the affected areas revealed that the erosion has already devoured one kilometre of riverbank, washing away homes and croplands in Nanupara, Nijgachtala and nearby villages.
Residents said the situation worsens during the dry season when the river’s current becomes stronger.
In a bid to draw attention to the crisis, villagers formed a human chain along the riverbank in Nanupara last Thursday, demanding immediate action to halt the erosion.
Shahjahan Patwari and Shahadat Talukder, two local farmers, said they once had extensive farmlands where they grew crops every season. “Now, most of it has disappeared into the river. If this continues, there will be nothing left to cultivate next year,” said Shahjahan.
Majeda Khatun, Hanufa Begum, and Rowshan Ara Begum, who also joined the human chain, shared how they had lost their ancestral homes to the river over the past two decades.
They said they had repeatedly approached local representatives for help, but no concrete action was ever taken.
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