Tragic Bank Erosion Along Bangali and Karatoya Rivers Devastates Bogura Communities

Elderly Chaitanya Sarkar, 75, sat in stunned silence along the banks of the turbulent Bangali River, weeping as he watched the water relentlessly swallow what remains of his ancestral home. A resident of Hawladar Para in Chokkhanpur village, situated within Sherpur Upazila of Bogura district, Sarkar described the tragic loss that has decimated his community over time. Once a thriving hamlet with 130 households, approximately 110 families have been uprooted by riverbank erosion over the last 15 years, leaving only 20 families struggling to protect their remaining land.

Hawladar Para is largely populated by traditional fishing families whose livelihoods have depended on the Bangali River for generations. Today, that very river threatens their existence. Intense rainfall alongside heavy upstream river flow has caused water levels in both the Bangali and Karatoya rivers to rise sharply, triggering extensive bank erosion. Expansive tracts of fertile farmland and numerous residential properties are now facing imminent destruction.

The catastrophic impact of the erosion spans multiple unions across Sherpur Upazila:

• Khanpur Union: Severe bank loss along the right bank of the Bangali River includes nearly 250 metres in Boroitoli Uttar Para, 400 metres in Hawladar Para of Chokkhanpur, and 150 metres in Dohakhanpur Para.

• Sughat Union: Erosion measures roughly 500 metres near Sughat Bazar on the left bank, 150 metres in Modhyabhag, 600 metres along the right bank in Binodpur’s Sahebbari area, and 300 metres in Chokpahari.

• Simabari and Khamarkandi Unions: Disruption extends across 300 metres in Ghasuria village, 200 metres in Naluya, 100 metres on the left bank in Khamarkandi, and 200 metres along the right bank in Jhajhor Uttar Para.

• Garidaha and Mirzapur Unions (Karatoya River): Swollen river currents have eroded 150 metres near the Fulbari Ghatpar bridge, 200 metres near Kalshimati School, and 200 metres in Kasiyabala village.

Villagers face increasingly desperate circumstances. Sadhana Rani Hawladar, who has already dismantled and rebuilt her home three times, lamented that there is no vacant land left for another relocation. Meanwhile, day-labourers Abdus Sattar and Abdus Salam from Ghasuria village revealed that parts of their home—including half of their kitchen—have already collapsed into the water. They noted that erosion worsened significantly after a dredging programme was conducted on the Bangali River two years ago.

Infrastructure in the region is also rapidly deteriorating. Golam Mostafa, acting headmaster of Naluya Government Primary School, stated that at least 40 metres of the school’s playground has already been washed away.

Local government representatives, including Khanpur Union Parishad Chairman Piar Uddin, Khamarkandi UP Acting Chairman Majedur Rahman, and Garidaha UP Chairman Tobibur Rahman, confirmed that the Upazila administration has been informed, which in turn notified the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) in Bogura. Member of Parliament for Bogura-5 Golam Mohammad Siraj recently toured the affected areas and urged authorities to implement immediate counter-erosion steps.

Commenting on the situation, Mahmud Hasan, Executive Engineer of Bogura BWDB, confirmed that protective infrastructure projects will be launched as soon as funding allocations for the new financial year are finalised.