Relentless river erosion leaves Bogura villagers homeless as authorities cite funding delays

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Severe riverbank erosion along the Bangali and Karatoya rivers in Bogra’s Sherpur upazila has left hundreds of families destitute, with residents watching helplessly as their ancestral homes and livelihoods are swallowed by surging currents. Triggered by persistent rainfall and upstream water flow, the erosion has reached a critical stage, threatening the remaining infrastructure and farmland in several unions, including Khanpur, Sughat, and Simabari.

In the village of Chokkhanpur, once a thriving hub for 130 fishing households, the devastation is profound. Long-time resident Chaitanya Sarkar, 75, recalls a community built over generations that has been reduced to a mere 20 families. According to local accounts, at least 110 families have been displaced in the last 15 years alone. Many residents, such as Sadhana Rani Hawlader, have relocated their homes multiple times, only to find themselves running out of land as the river continues its relentless encroachment.

The geographical scale of the disaster is extensive. Reports indicate that segments ranging from 100 to 600 meters along the banks of the Bangali and Karatoya rivers are actively collapsing. In the Sughat union, the erosion has reached critical points near the local market and surrounding villages, while in the Simabari and Khamarkandi unions, infrastructure—including parts of the Naluya Government Primary School playground—has already been lost to the water.

Residents living in the immediate path of the erosion describe an atmosphere of constant dread. Abdus Sattar and Abdus Salam, two brothers in the village of Ghashuria, currently cook meals in the remaining halves of their kitchens after the other portions collapsed into the river. They attribute the intensified erosion to a river dredging project conducted two years ago, claiming the river’s character shifted drastically following the intervention.

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Local government officials, including the chairmen of Khanpur, Khamarkandi, and Garidaha unions, have notified the upazila administration of the worsening crisis. While local Member of Parliament Golam Mohammad Siraj has visited the affected sites and urged the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) to take immediate action, bureaucratic delays remain a barrier.

Mahmud Hasan, an executive engineer for the BWDB in Bogra, stated that the agency has yet to receive funding for the current fiscal year. He maintained that essential measures to curb the erosion will be implemented only after the necessary budget allocation is finalized, leaving vulnerable families to face the coming weeks with little protection against the encroaching river.