Resilience Amid Ruins: A Bangladeshi Mother Rebuilds Life After Cyclone Devastation
Photo Collected
On the banks of the Kopotaksho River, at the bustling Kashi Hatkhola market in Khulna’s Koyra sub-district, 30-year-old Hira Mandal meticulously arranges trays of traditional sweets. For Hira, the small shop is more than just a business; it represents a hard-won victory against the environmental devastation that once stripped her of everything she owned.
Six years ago, Kashi Hatkhola served as a vital riverine trading hub. Hira and her husband, Bishwajit, once operated a modest shop there, selling sweets and simple meals while nurturing dreams of expanding their trade. However, in May 2020, Cyclone Amphan decimated the region. The storm’s fierce winds tore the roof from their home, and subsequent river erosion swallowed their land, forcing the couple to flee with their young children to a nearby flood embankment.
Living under a makeshift tent on the embankment, the family faced years of uncertainty. With no home to return to, Hira turned to harvesting shrimp fry from saline waters, while her husband worked as a rickshaw puller to survive. Despite the hardship, Hira refused to abandon her ambition. She sought out a local artisan to master the craft of traditional sweets, such as *rasgulla* and *chomchom*, working for free in exchange for training.
Supported by a microfinance loan of 60,000 taka, the couple re-established their shop last year. Today, they balance the business with day labor to manage their monthly loan installments. Their struggle is compounded by Hira’s ongoing battle with a chest tumor and the constant fear of eviction from the government-owned land where they have rebuilt their lives.
Local educator Mihir Kanti Mandal describes Hira as a symbol of resilience in the face of climate-induced displacement. Though the Kopotaksho River claimed her property, it could not erase her resolve. Hira remains focused on a singular goal: ensuring her children receive an education so they may escape the cycle of poverty and environmental instability that has defined her own life.
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