United News of Bangladesh

The Teesta Barrage, the largest irrigation project in Bangladesh, has allegedly become a center of mismanagement, corruption, extortion, and land grabbing, putting the lives and livelihood in the northern region under risk. Located at the Lalmonirhat-Nilphamari junction, the barrage was constructed in 1988 with 52 gates to protect five northern districts—Rangpur, Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Gaibandha, and Nilphamari—from Indian water aggression and to ensure irrigation. Officials tasked with protecting state resource are allegedly involved in these illegal activities under political protection. Experts said unless action is taken immediately, the barrage may fail to fulfill its core purpose—ensuring irrigation and saving farmers’ livelihoods in drought-prone areas. Political party leaders of successive governments have collected tolls illegally from the vehicles over the years and the situation has not changed after political changeover, alleged locals. According to engineering design, the barrage can handle a maximum load of 20 tons but 300–350 trucks carrying 30–40 tons pass through daily. An official involved in the barrage’s maintenance, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “Around Tk 15 lakh is extorted daily. We cannot intervene as our jobs would be at risk.” The official said the reckless toll collection threatens the barrage’s structural integrity, with cracks appearing in several points. An Ansar member said, “They collect a big amount of toll from each truck. We only do our duty; the real share goes up the chain.” In 2014, heavy vehicles passing through gates 24, 27, and 28 of the barrage was prohibited after cracks appeared. Read: Teesta, Dharla erosion leaves thousands in Lalmonirhat at risk Although toll collection was officially halted on paper a new chapter of extortion began. Several people preferring anonymity said after political changeover in August last year, leaders of different political parties from Hatibandha, Patgram, and Dimla formed alliances to continue extortion. DIG Aminul Islam of the Rangpur police range said, “Since  2024 July uprising  we have not received credible reports of extortion at the barrage. Appropriate measures will be taken if we get information.” Ahsan Habib, Superintending Engineer of the Rangpur region under WDB, said, “We are trying to prevent any misuse of the barrage.” Besides, irrigation canals have allegedly been occupied by influential people. Although mineral extraction is prohibited within a one-kilometer radius of the barrage sand is being extracted from the barrage site, altering river paths and endangering the structure. A Water Development Board official said repeated written complaints were ignored due to the syndicate’s influence. Police and RAB records show over 1,200 bottles of Phensedyl and thousands of Yaba pills were recovered from the barrage area last year. Read more: Lalmonirhat flood: Teesta water recedes, miseries mount Local residents question how drugs can bypass CCTV, Ansar battalions, and police patrols. Two weighing scales built at a cost of Tk 1.5 crore remain nonfunctional for years as political influence and corrupt officials allegedly delayed repairs intentionally. Locals said if the barrage was properly managed it could support farmers and attract tourists  but it has now become a stronghold of corruption. Monirul Islam, Executive Engineer of the Mechanical Division at Dalia WDB, said, “Vehicles should not exceed 20 tons. Requests for scale repair have been submitted.” Amitabh Chowdhury, Executive Engineer of the Power Division at Dalia WDB, said, “Heavy vehicles are not allowed. We are working on 35 packages for canal renovation and 10 have been completed. We will take step for land acquisition once we get the budget. We are helpless in stopping extortion.” Read more: Govt is prioritising efforts to prevent erosion along the Teesta: Adviser Rizwana Dr. Tuhin Wadud, Chairman of river research institute Riverain People, said, “Improper Teesta flow causes nearly Tk 1 lakh crore in annual flood damages. Mismanagement of the barrage endangers the entire region including Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat, and Kurigram. Authorities must act now and the extortion around the barrage must be stopped immediately.”

Over 40,000 people in five northern districts, including Rangpur and Lalmonirhat, remained stranded as the Teesta River continues to swell. “The river is flowing 15 centimetres above its danger mark at the Teesta Barrage Point,” said Tahidul Islam, assistant engineer of the Water Development Board (Dalia Division), on Thursday morning. Heavy rainfall over recent days, coupled with a strong onrush of water from nearby hills, has intensified the situation. Authorities are closely monitoring the river, while residents face increasing difficulties accessing essential services and moving safely, Tahidul Islam said. Houses, croplands and various structures in the low-lying areas of the districts are reportedly being washed away. The Water Development Board said the sudden rise in Teesta’s waters has submerged homes and grazing lands, leading to a shortage of animal feed. Low-lying areas, chars and river islands near the Teesta, including Nohali, Alambiditar, Kolkond, Lakshmitari, Gajghanta, and Mornaya unions of Gangachara upazila in Rangpur, Balapara and Tepamadhupur unions in Kaunia upazila, and Chowla union in Pirgachha upazila, are flooded. In Lalmonirhat, 33 villages in five upazilas, 27 villages in Kurigram and 14 villages in Nilphamari are also affected, with water entering homes and forcing residents to seek safer shelters. Enamul Kabir, a local resident along the Teesta riverbank, warned that rising water pressure is affecting roads and embankments in the settlement due to solar panels. Flood submerges low-lying areas in C'nawabganj; 8500 families stranded “If these are not protected, thousands of homesteads and agricultural lands will be lost to the river, and eventually, it may reach the upazila town,” he said. Shamsul Alam, a day-labourer from Patikapara Union, said families are trapped as water inundates low-lying areas and roads. “People are in severe trouble with livestock, children, the elderly, and the disabled. Water has also entered our home, but no one has come to check on us,” he added. Teesta swells above danger mark again; low-lying areas flooded in Nilphamari

Flood conditions have started to improve in Parshuram upazila of Feni district as rainfall and river water levels subside, locals and authorities said on Friday. However, a state of water logging continues in Fulgazi and Chhagalnaiya as of Friday morning. Floodwater, triggered by breaches in upstream embankments in India, has flowed from Parshuram and Fulgazi into Chhagalnaiya and various low-lying areas of Feni Sadar. According to district Water Development Board officials, 21 breaches in embankments along the Muhuri, Kahua, and Silonia rivers have flooded over 100 villages across Parshuram, Fulgazi, Chhagalnaiya, and parts of Sadar upazila since Monday. The flooding has left thousands waterlogged and many roads submerged and cut off transportation. The absence of electricity and mobile networks has worsened the crisis. While Parshuram sees gradual improvement, new areas in Chhagalnaiya and Feni Sadar are still being inundated by floodwaters. On Friday, floodwater flowed one to two feet above the Feni-Fulgazi and Feni-Chhagalnaiya regional roads. Feni’s low-lying areas disappear under rising waters leaving no land in sight According to the district administration around 7,000 people have taken refuge in 50 designated shelters while over 20,000 affected residents are receiving food and relief support from the administration and local volunteers.  

An embankment which broke under  increased water pressure has been reconstructed by the residents of Khulna’s Koyra upazila to protect houses, land crops, and fish enclosures. Koyra Upazila Parishad Chairman SM Shafiqul Islam and Upazila Nirbahi Officer Animesh Biswas led the initiative and completed the construction of the ring dam from morning tide to noon tide. Imtiaz Uddin, general secretary of the Koira development coordination committee, said that about 3,000 people of South Bedkashi union had built the broken 300-meter dam together to ease the sufferings. Read: Embankment goes into riverbed in Khulna  The Water Development Board has given some sacks for this work, he added. Earlier, the embankment started to break on Sunday noon. According to Osman Gani, a member of the local ward, a road on one side of the Charmukha canal went into the riverbed around 4:00am. As a result, around 7 to 8 thousand people of five villages have been stranded. Villagers tried to repair the dam on their own initiative but failed on Sunday. However on Monday they managed to rebuild the dam.

The High Court on Sunday directed the government authorities to submit a proper list of the country's rivers and division-wise list of illegal occupiers. The court asked the finance secretary, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), Water Development Board (WDB) and all the district commissioners to submit the lists within six months. The HC bench of Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Mia and Md Kamrul Hossain Molla passed the order during a hearing on a writ petition filed by Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA). Lawyer Syeda Rizwana Hasan represented BElA at the hearing while Deputy Attorney General Nowroz Md Rasel Chowdhury appeared for the state. Read: 20-year masterplan to revive Dhaka's rivers in the works Syeda Rizwana said there is an inconsistency regarding the number of rivers in Bangladesh. “Even after the court passed many directions the river areas are determined wrongly which actually facilitates the illegal grabbing. At some places the action to evict occupiers is going on but not in all," she said. According to the petition, WDB data says there are 405 rivers in Bangladesh while National River Conservation Commission (NRCC) mentions 707 and a private research says 1,182. As the number of rivers remained undetermined, so did the number of illegal occupiers, it said. NRCC data shows there are 57, 390 listed illegal occupiers while reports in national dailies exceed it. Read: 60 illegal establishments evicted from Kirtankhola river banks Recently the state minister for the shipping ministry told the Parliament there are 65, 127 river occupiers in the country. BELA filed the writ in view of the discrepancy, Rizwana said.

The Water Development Board (WDB) has issued a red alert in the Teesta Basin after the river swelled above danger level due to onrush of water from upstream. Teesta crossed 60 cm above danger level since Wednesday afternoon due to the onrush of hill water and heavy rainfall upstream in India. The authorities in Bangladesh have ordered an evacuation of the people living in villages along the river’s banks. Extreme panic is prevailing among the residents of Teesta bank due to the sudden rise of Teesta water. In addition, flood fuses on the north side of the Teesta Barrage are reported to be under threat of getting damaged. Due to the rise in Teesta, 15 villages of Purba Chhatnai, Tapa Kharibari, Khagakharibari, Khalisha Chapani, Jhunagach Chapani and Gayabari Union of Dimla upazila of Nilphamari and six villages of sandbar of Jaldhaka upazila have been flooded. The residents of those areas have evacuated to safer places, said the people's representatives of those unions. Hundreds of hectares of crop land have been inundated. READ: Teesta flowing above danger level, 44 barrage gates opened Abdul Latif Khan, Purbachhatnai UP chairman of Dimla upazila in Nilphamari, said the right bank of the Teesta at Zero Point in the area and the Groen dam is under threat of getting damaged. Water is flowing especially over the Groen dam. If the Groen collapses, hundreds of houses in the area, including the dam on the right bank of the Teesta, will be washed away by the Teesta River. Tepakharibari UP chairman Moinul Haque said the Teesta Bazar, Telirbazar, Dolapara and Charkharibari areas have already been submerged. All crop lands in the sandbars are under water. In Lalmonirhat, the Barakhata to Hatibandha bypass road has collapsed at various places due to sudden rise in water level of Teesta river. As a result, thousands of families in this union have been marooned. Thousands of acres of crop land on the banks of Teesta in five upazilas of Lalmonirhat district have been submerged in water. Lalmonirhat Deputy Commissioner Abu Jafar said he has instructed the union chairmen and UNOs to look over the flood situation in these areas. The Teesta river was flowing 52.70 cm above the danger level at Dalia point on Tuesday night while it was flowing 60 cm above the danger level around 10 am on Wednesday. This is due to the onrush of hill water and heavy rainfall, according to Board officials. READ: Teesta turns turbulent in Kurigram; leaves 100 families homeless The low-lying areas of Dahgram in Patgram upazila, Gaddimari, Singamari, Sinduna, Patikapara, Dauabari in Hatibandha upazila and Bhotmari, Soilmari, Nohli, Char Boirati in Kaliganj upazilas of Lalmonirhat district have been flooded, affecting some 10,000 families. Asfaudoula, executive engineer of the Water Development Board at Dalia point, said  “The Teesta water is flowing 60 cm above its danger mark and the authorities concerned have opened all the 44 gates of the barrage.” Besides, the residents along the river have been asked to take shelter in safer places issuing red alert.

Seven villages in Fulgazi upazila of Feni district have got submerged as the flood control embankment along the Muhuri River collapsed due to the onrush of water, destroying crops and dwellings. The river was flowing 140 cm above its danger level, cutting off road communications with Parshuram areas. Sources at the upazila administration and Water Development Board (WDB) said the embankment at Jaipur point in Fulgazi Sadar Union got damaged due to the deluge of water from across the border. READ: Searches, sorrow in wake of Ida’s destructive, deadly floods They said the floods sent Fulgazi Sadar Union, West Ghaniamora, East Ghaniamora and Kismat Ghaniamoa, Jaipur, North Daulatpur, South Dinajpur and Bairagpur areas under water, damaging houses and huge crops. Fulgazi Union Parishad (UP) chairman Nurul Islam said the floodwater poured into the villages through the damaged parts of the embankment at Jaipur part in Sadar Union.

The Water Development Board (WDB) opened all the 44 gates of Teesta Barrage on Friday to rein in the high water pressure, with the river flowing 35cm above the danger level. Around 11am on Friday, water flow in the barrage was recorded at 52.95 cm, said WDB officials. "Due to heavy rains, most of the gates of Gajal Doba barrage on the Indian side were opened, which increased the water level of the Teesta and adjoining small rivers," said Executive Engineer Mizanur Rahman. But the official said the water level may decrease by afternoon. Also read: Teesta turns turbulent in Kurigram; leaves 100 families homeless Flood-like situation triggered by the increased water level of the river is giving several residents of the district sleepless nights. The worst-hit are around 3,000 families in Angarpota-Dahagram of Patgram upazila, Gaddimari, Singimari, Sinduna, Patikapara, Dauabari union sandbar area, Mahishkhocha union of Aditmari upazila, Rajpur of Sadar upazila, Khuniagach, Gokunda union and the Sandbar area of Kaliganj upazila. Also read: Teesta flowing above danger level with India opening barrage gates These families have demanded speedy implementation of the Teesta mega project as this is the fourth time this year that they have been hit.

 

The Bhadra and Shalta rivers in Khulna's Dumuria upazila have filled up in just one year after re-excavation that cost Tk 46.25 crore.