Despite clear instructions from higher authorities, concerns are growing over the increasing number of crop protection dam projects in the haor (wetland) areas of Sunamganj district. Crop protection dams are built to protect crops from early floods and landslides. Haors are wetland ecosystems found in the north-eastern part of Bangladesh. Sunamganj district is famous for its numerous haors. Recently, the Adviser to the Ministry of Environment and Climate, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, and the Chairman of the district committee for crop protection dams, Deputy Commissioner Dr. Mohammad Ilias Mia, visited the region and instructed local officials to avoid taking up unnecessary projects. However, it appears that these directives are not being followed, with the number of approved projects continuing to rise. Jashore florists expect Tk 100 crore flower sales despite weather setbacks According to local government records, the number of approved crop protection dam projects in the haor region had ballooned to 675 by December 12, 2024, even though the initial plan was for 600 projects. It is likely the number may increase even further, potentially reaching 700 projects. This surge in projects comes despite previous statements by the authorities that only essential projects would be undertaken this year. The Water Development Board has also sought an initial allocation of Tk 125 crore from the government for the renovation and repair of 534 kilometers of crop protection embankments across 53 haors in the current season. The funds will be used to repair and renovate existing dams, as well as to address major breaches in the haor. The construction was set to begin on December 15 and is expected to be completed by December 28. Local residents and environmental groups have expressed concerns that many of these projects are unnecessary and could harm the natural balance of the haor ecosystem. Bitter cold grips Meherpur: Over 1,200 hospitalized, lack of warm clothing intensifies crisis In particular, the Haor Bachao Andolan (Save the Haors Movement) has protested against the ongoing increase in projects. The Haor Bachao Andolan held press conferences, rallies, and submitted memorandums, claiming that many of the dams are excessive and wasteful. One of the key allegations is that funds are being misused by approving projects for existing dams that are either intact or only slightly damaged, but are allocated as new, full-scale projects. It is also claimed that local political leaders and activists are using these projects as a way to access government funds, with some involved in bribery and corruption. Despite these allegations, the Sunamganj Water Development Board insists that it is taking extra care this time to ensure the proper implementation of the projects. Executive Engineer Mamun Hawlader said that there are strict instructions to avoid irregularities, and that the board is closely monitoring the process. However, local leaders remain skeptical. Senior members of the Haor Bachao Movement, including Jasim Uddin, have warned that the system remains vulnerable to manipulation. Key sections of Dhaka-Chattogram Highway in dire need of renovation Jasim accused some officials of using various tactics to approve unnecessary projects and divert funds. He also claimed that projects are being approved secretly, without transparency, which could lead to further corruption. Talking to UNB, Advocate Shishir Monir, a Supreme Court lawyer, called for greater public oversight of the project approval process. He suggested that the project list should be made public, and farmers should have a say in the decisions about the dams, through public hearings or social media platforms. He argued that this would prevent unnecessary projects and ensure that government funds are used effectively, without harming the environment. Deputy Commissioner Dr. Mohammad Ilias Mia said that the government is committed to reducing corruption in the implementation of the crop protection dam projects. He said that monitoring committees have been formed across the district, and these committees will submit reports to ensure transparency and accountability. The controversy surrounding the crop protection dam projects highlights the ongoing tension between development needs, environmental concerns, and the proper use of government funds. While the authorities maintain that measures are in place to avoid mismanagement, local communities and environmentalists are adamant about the need to remain vigilant, demanding greater transparency and adherence to environmental guidelines. There are 95 haors in Sunamganj district, spread across 10 of its 11 upazilas.

Once the indigenous varieties of paddy were cultivated on a large scale in haor areas in Sunamganj. But with the passage of time the native paddies have almost disappeared thanks to the arrival of high-yielding hybrid varieties. Local farmers and others involved with agriculture blamed the growing dominance of multinational companies and hybrid paddy cultivation. Just two decades ago, the haors such as Shani, Matian, Mahalir and Bordi Gurmas in Tahirpur upazila of the district had been thriving with various native varieties of Boro paddy, grown to shield against floods. Indigenous Boro paddy was easy to cultivate with no fertilizers or pesticides. These varieties were resilient to climatic changes, surviving excessive rainfall or drought with minimal impact and even didn’t need irrigation. However, in recent years, the rise of hybrid paddy and the aggressive dominance by multinational companies are pushing the traditional varieties out of the fields. In search of higher yields, farmers are shifting to hybrid paddy as the government is encouraging hybrid paddy cultivation to ensure food security and self-sufficiency. Despite this shift, Tahirpur Upazila Agriculture Office continues to advise farmers to preserve seeds of local paddy varieties alongside high-yield hybrids. Among the native varieties that have already disappeared from the haor region are Rata, Gachi Shail, Najishail, Lakai, Pani Shail, Bor, Tepy, Rangila Tepy, Rajashail, Begun Bichi, and Boro Zira. These varieties, once used to prepare delicious dishes for guests, were not only known for their taste but also their nutritional value. Read: Govt to procure 51,973 MT paddy from Khulna amid bumper harvest Local agriculture officials said that the low yield of indigenous paddy has caused farmers to lose interest in cultivating. Now varieties like BRRI Dhan-28, BRRI Dhan-29, BRRI-1203, and Shakti are now the dominant crops in the haors. In Shani Haor of the upazila, farmer Jasim Uddin said that cultivating indigenous paddy used to be cheaper and during harvest time, the village was filled with traditional snacks like pithas (rice cakes), payesh (rice pudding), chira (flattened rice), khoi (puffed rice), and muri (puffed rice). These celebrations have now disappeared. He also said that indigenous paddy cultivation did not require excessive use of fertilizers or pesticides. Echoing Jasim, another famer Satyar Ray said that they didn’t need to buy paddy seeds from the market in the past. They would simply store some of their harvest to use as seeds for the following year. However, now they must purchase expensive seeds every year, and they also need to apply large amounts of pesticides, fertilizers, and water to achieve satisfactory yields, he recalled. Asaduzzaman, plant conservation officer at Tahirpur Upazila Agriculture Office, shared that farmers are opting for high-yielding paddy varieties to get more benefits. Read more: Bumper Aman paddy yield brings joy to farmers in Chapainawabganj He said that during various training sessions organised by the agriculture office, they encourage farmers to preserve indigenous paddy seeds along with hybrid varieties. Despite the lower yield, indigenous paddy is sold at a higher price in the market, he observed.

Tourism businesses in Sunamganj are bouncing back gradually after suffering significant losses for over two months due to three rounds of flood and political instability. Restrictions in several tourist areas of the Chittagong Hill Tracts redirected tourists to Sunamganj’s famed Haor region, including Tanguar Haor and the Tahirpur border areas, providing a much-needed boost to local businesses. Houseboat owners said they suffered losses amounting to around Tk 50 crore during this period. Tour operators said they are now facing overwhelming demand, with all houseboats fully booked in advance. Travel ban hits tourism businesses in CHT hard Popular tourist destinations like Tanguar Haor, Shaheed Siraj Lake (Niladri), Shimul Garden, and the Jadukata River are now filled with visitors. Aziz Sarkar, a banker from Rajshahi, expressed his amazement after exploring the region for the first time. “The Tanguar Haor has amazed us greatly. We are overjoyed. We have never seen such large haor before. The diversity of the haor, especially the settlements on its shores, and how they survive and live, has left a mark on our minds,” said Aziz, who came with a group of 36 people, most of whom are bank employees. Tourist Mahbuba Rahman Sathi, a tourist from Dhaka, said, “We had been planning to visit Tanguar Haor for a long time. The weather is good now, so we came. Our group consists of 12 family members. Sylhet is always beautiful, but the haor is even more beautiful. We’ve been touring in a houseboat since morning. It feels great.” However, the region’s poor road infrastructures are challenge for visitors, said some tourists. Moulvibazar Travel Guide: Explore the Top Tourist Attractions “The road from Sunamganj to Tahirpur is in bad shape. Women and children, in particular, had a hard time getting here. These things stand as obstacles to the development of tourist areas,” said Manjurul Islam Soumik from Feni. He also raised concerns about the lack of visible tourist police and disconnected phone numbers listed on safety sign boards. Responding to these complaints, Habibur Rahman, Officer-in-Charge of the Tourist Police in Sunamganj, explained that his mobile phone had been out of service due to damage but is now operational. “We have 8 members. The tourist police are working round the clock to ensure the safety of tourists,” he said. Arian Emon, CEO of Haimanti Houseboat, said, “We have incurred losses of around Tk 50 crore in the past two months. Currently, due to the restrictions in Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagrachhari tourists are coming to the Haor. All our boats are fully booked. Many are still trying to book. There’s now a festive atmosphere in the Haor,” he said. Trip to Tanguar Haor, Sunamganj: Majestic aquatic beauty soaking the horizon

Seventy percent of the Boro paddy in haor areas have been harvested, the Ministry of Agriculture (Bangladesh) has said. In Sylhet, 55 percent paddy was harvested, in Moulvibazar 70 percent was harvested, in Habiganj 67 percent, in Sunamganj 73 percent, in Kishoreganj 58 percent, in Netrokona 77 percent, and in Brahmanbaria 67 percent of Boro paddy was harvested, according to a press release of the ministry today. Boro paddies were sown on 452,000 hectare of land in haor areas of seven districts this year.And a total of 953,000 hectares of Boro paddy has been cultivated in the highland outside of the haors. The production target is 40 lakh tonnes of rice, said the release. Read More: Record Boro production to be achieved this year: Agriculture Minister Recently, Bangladesh's Agriculture Minster Abdur Razzaque launched the Boro paddy harvest in haor areas of Sunamganj ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr. At the time, he said if there was no natural disaster and rice can be brought home on time, there will be record production in Boro this year. He said only in Sunamganj, around 1,000 combined paddy harvesters are working, adding that there will be no problem in harvesting paddy this time. According to the Department of Agricultural Extension, Boro has been sown on 50 lakh hectares of land across the country this year, while the production target is 21.5 million metric tonnes of rice. Read More: Govt to procure 16.50 lakh tonnes Boro paddy, rice In the last fiscal year 2021-22, Boro rice was sown on 48,14,000 hectares of land, and about 20.2 million tonnes of rice were produced in Bangladesh, the release said.

A 12-year-old schoolgirl died as a boat capsized in Burikeyari haor in Fenchuganj upazila of Sylhet early Wednesday, said police. The deceased was identified as Morshed Jahan Ferdousi, of the upazila. She was a sixth grader of Fariza Khatun Girls’ High School. Read: Lightning strike leaves fisherman dead in Sylhet A boat carrying 17-18 people including Ferdousi sank in the haor around 9 am, said Md Shafayet Hossain, officer-in-charge (OC) of Fenchuganj police station. Although locals rescued the other people the girl drowned in the haor. Later, police fished out the body, said the OC.

Body of a Rural Electrification Board (REB) officer, who went missing in a haor faced with  with a heavy current while fishing Monday, was recovered in the district Tuesday. The deceased was identified as Mohammad Hossain, son of Nur Mohammad at Char Jabbar union in Subarnachar upazila of Noakhali district. He was assistant enforcement coordinator (ANC) of Mithamoin zonal office in Kishoreganj Palli Bidyut Samity. Kalindra Nath Goldar, officer-in-charge (OC) of Mithamoin police station, said the REB officer went to a Haor near Itna-Mithamoin-Astagram road to catch fish with net around 6 pm Monday. A heavy current took him away when he threw the net  in the Haor as  the net was tied with his hand, the OC said. Read: Missing tourist’s body fished out of Kishoreganj haor On information, divers of fire service and civil defense rushed to the spot and carried out the salvation work but failed to find him initially. The divers finally were able to find body of the missing officer some 200 meters away from the road Tuesday, the OC added.

Two poultry farmers went missing after their small boat capsized in Chapati haor (back swamp) during a storm in the district's Derai upazila on Wednesday night, police said. The missing farmers have been identified as Mujibur Rahman, 45, and Anhar Mia, 23, of the upazila. Read: Missing tourist’s body fished out of Kishoreganj haor Locals said that three farmers went to Chapati haor on a small engine-driven boat to collect food for ducks on Wednesday afternoon and it capsized during a storm around 9.30pm. Though locals rescued one of the farmers, Parvez Miah, and rushed him to a nearby hospital in the Kolyarkapan market area, the two others couldn't be traced. Akram Ali, officer-in-charge of Derai police station, said a team of fire service divers carried out a search and rescue operation till 12 noon on Thursday, but couldn’t find the missing duo.

The paddy farmers of haor upazilas Austagram, Itna, Mithamoin, and Nikli of Kishoreganj district are not getting a fair price of paddy in Chamraghat, Bhairab, and Ashuganj wholesale markets in this Boro paddy harvesting season. As a result, paddy farmers have been counting Tk 150-250 loss per maund of paddy which will push them into financial trouble.   Haor farmers have already faced two flash floods triggered by incessant downpours and onrush of water from upstream areas in India’s eastern zone. Farmers in the haor areas continue to harvest half-ripe paddy fearing more flash floods instructed by the administration, local lawmakers, and the Department of Agricultural Extension to cut further loss.   As farmers are harvesting half-ripe paddy, they are unable to utilize it fully. This is a huge loss for them. Moreover, the Boro labour crisis has increased the losses as farmers are counting on extra money to get the necessary number of labourers to harvest Boro crops. This time, the unfair price of paddy has turned the haor farmers unhappy. They are now lamenting and passing days thinking about how they will repay their loans from local lenders. READ: 90% of haor paddy harvested: Deputy Minister Boro farmers of haor areas have expressed their resentment about the unfair paddy price. Their disappointment comes when farmers go to the wholesale market to sell BRRI dhan 28 (a Boro paddy variety which ripens early). Visiting the Chamraghat rice market, the UNB correspondent found farmers from haor areas bringing paddy here by river routes. Rice mill owners buy paddy directly from farmers at this spot.    Farmers said they have been counting huge losses as they are not getting a fair price this year. Mill owners are buying maximum paddy at a low price produced in the haor areas. The production cost per maund of coarse paddy, including the labour cost, is near Tk 900 while its selling price is only Tk 650 to Tk 750, while plain paddy is being sold at Tk 750 to Tk 850 against the production cost near Tk 1000. Karim Mia, a farmer of Dhanpur of Itna upazila, said he has expended more than Tk 1,000 to grow one maund paddy. But he is not getting a fair price in the local market which has forced him to sell paddies at lower prices counting huge losses. Farmer Amin Mia, who has come to sell paddy in Bhairab Bazar wholesale market from Austagram upazila, said most of the farmers in Austagram cultivated Boro croplands by taking lease from the land owners. Many of them have also borrowed money from local creditors. As farmers are not getting a fair price for paddy this year, it will be a tough task for them to maintain their livelihood after paying debts.    He also urged the government to procure paddy at a fair price directly from the farmers. Ujjal Saha, agriculture officer of Itna upazila said, “Most of the farmers of the haor areas are ultra-poor. They are bound to sell paddy in early Baishakh to pay the borrowed money. Money-lenders put huge pressure on them in Baishakh. If they sell paddies a few days later, they will get a good price.”

Farmers have harvested 90 percent of Boro paddy in haor areas, said AKM Enamul Haque Shamim, deputy minister for water resources. “The remaining ten percent paddy in haor areas will be harvested soon,” he told reporters, after inspecting the progress of work on the protection project of Padma’s Naria-Jajira of Shariatpur district on Friday. Due to the timely steps of the government, the farmers of haor areas have avoided a huge loss, he said. Read: Khalid urges passengers to cross river through Paturia instead of Shimulia  There are 2,22,805 hectares of haor across the country. Of these, only 5,765 hectares of haor crops have been damaged. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is inquiring about the situation in the haors regularly.  The Ministry of Water Resources, Water Development Board, District Administration and Agriculture Department are working together as per PM’s directions. For the sake of haor people, holidays of the officials and employees of the Water Development Board have been canceled. The ministry is working on adopting a plan to solve the problem of haor permanently. The deputy minister said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has announced the implementation of Delta Plan-2100 to build a developed Bangladesh in the future. The Ministry of Water Resources will implement 80 per cent of the work of this master plan. If this master plan is implemented, there will be no problem of river erosion and waterlogging in the whole country. Read: Brace for showers in next 24 hours! The Ministry of Water Resources and the Water Development Board are working tirelessly to implement this master plan, he said.    

Water started overflowing Chhayar Haor in Shalla upazila of Sunamganj district as an embankment collapsed early Sunday, making it more difficult for farmers in Haor areas to harvest paddy. Local people blamed negligence on the part of the authorities concerned of local Water Development Board for the collapse of the levee. According to the local office of Department of Agriculture Extension, this year, 4,637 hectares of land in Chhayar Haor was brought under boro cultivation and already 95% paddy of the haor area have been harvested. Also read: Sunamganj farmers fear crops loss as floodwater enters haors But the local farmers claimed that they failed to harvest 15% crops of the haor. Takbir Hossain, a farmer of Sultanpur village in the upazila, said that he failed to harvest 30% crops of his land due to lack of paddy workers. Shalla Upazila Nirbahi Officer, Abu Taleb, said a portion of Chhayar Haor dam collapsed early hours of Sunday during nor’wester, flooding many areas. However, the main closure of the embankment remained unhurt. Also read: 41% paddy harvested in haor region until April 20: Ministry Sunamganj haor region was hit by the first phase of flash floods due to onrush of hill water and upstream water running down hills following torrential rain in Meghalaya and Cherrapunji of India recently. A vast tract of boro cropland was inundated, forcing farmers to harvest their crops early to minimise losses.