The erosion of the Padma River in Charbhadrasan upazila of Faridpur are threatening homes and agricultural land.
Residents of at least seven villages are at risk due to unauthorised sand dredging, resulting in the erosion.
Several educational institutions and local markets in these villages are also in a vulnerable state. The district administration has pledged to halt illegal sand extraction, with the Water Development Board announcing plans to construct embankments to mitigate the damage.
A visit revealed that the riverbank is eroding at an alarming rate, causing continuous loss of land and forcing residents to spend sleepless nights in fear.
The villages included Tiliar Char, Intaz Mollardangi, Sabulla Shikdar Dangi, and Jakreswara, among others.
A one-kilometer section from Sabulla Shikdar Dangi Government Primary School to the Supari Bagan area is in critical condition.
Locals said influential groups are continuously extracting sand illegally from the river using dredgers, causing severe erosion.
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They demand immediate embankment construction to protect their homes and livelihoods.
Abdur Rashid, a 70-year-old resident, said, "Sand extraction from this river was rampant under the previous government, and it continues unchanged under new leadership. This illegal activity has not stopped, leaving us helpless."
Both men and women from the affected villages expressed their frustration over the ongoing sand extraction.
On Thursday a public hearing was held at Jakreswara Bazaar in Charbhadrasan, organised by the Water Development Board, to discuss a proposed riverbank protection project.
Local residents voiced their grievances, after which officials from the district administration and the Water Development Board visited the erosion-affected areas.
Faridpur's Additional Deputy Commissioner (revenue) Ramananda Pal said, "We are here to understand local concerns and discuss the importance of the project. It is essential to implement the project, but stopping illegal sand extraction is the first priority."
He further mentioned that about 1.25 kilometres of the riverbank remains unprotected and will be included in the protection plan. The project proposal has already been submitted, and government directives mandate that public opinion be considered before implementation. Based on the hearing, a report will be sent promptly.
Faridpur Water Development Board’s Executive Engineer Md. Rakib Hossain expressed hope that the project would be approved soon.
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According to sources from the Water Development Board, the estimated cost of the 3.25-kilometre riverbank protection embankment is Tk 400 crore.
If approved, the project is expected to begin this year and be completed by February 2028, safeguarding the residents from further erosion.