Sudden and severe riverbank erosion has taken a devastating turn in Par Bishnupur village of Kalia upazila of Narail district, swallowing several business establishments overnight and leaving local traders and farming families in crisis.
According to locals, at least 10 shops in Par Bishnupur Bazar, situated on the banks of the Nabaganga River, collapsed into the river in a single night.
Trees along the market’s edge were also swept away.
The abrupt destruction has left business owners disoriented, while agriculture-dependent families are facing acute hardship.
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Dilruba, a tea stall owner, shared her distress, “As a woman, I have been running this tea shop for years to support my family. With the shop gone to the river, I no longer have any income. Every day I worry about how to feed my children.”
Abdul Quddus, who owned a grocery, tea and cosmetics shop, said, “I have lost everything at once. The shop was my only source of livelihood. Now that everything has been washed away, I am left on the streets with my family. I don’t know where to go or what to do.”
Local resident Shariful Sheikh said that riverbank erosion is a recurring problem in the area, but this year’s devastation is unprecedented.
“Every year erosion happens here, but I never imagined it would be this severe. The entire market collapsed overnight. Unless a permanent embankment is built, the whole area will disappear into the river,” he said.
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Another grocery shop owner, Nazrul Sheikh, expressed despair, “The shop’s earnings were enough to sustain my family. Now, with it gone, we are left destitute. Unless compensation or rehabilitation is arranged, we have no way to survive.”
Tea stall owner Atiar Mina said, “It was a small shop, but it was the lifeline for our family. The river has swallowed it. Now there is no work, and we are spending our days in hunger. If the government does not step in with urgent aid, we will be forced to live on the streets.”
Former chairman of Purulia Union Parishad, Abu Bakar Siddique, warned of the broader impact, “If the market collapses like this, the entire economy of the area will crumble. Not only the market, but roads, mosques, schools and many important structures are at risk. If the government does not immediately construct a permanent embankment, Par Bishnupur Bazar will soon vanish from the map.”
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Responding to the crisis, Abhijit Kumar Saha, Executive Engineer of the Water Development Board, said, “As soon as we heard about the erosion at Par Bishnupur Bazar in Purulia Union, we dispatched representatives from the office. We are monitoring the situation closely. Discussions have already been held with higher authorities, and we will take measures as quickly as possible to prevent further erosion.”