Students and residents protest as erosion threatens school and homes along Sandha River in Barishal
Photo Collected
Residents of Babuganj Upazila in Barishal gathered along the banks of the Sandhya River on Wednesday, demanding urgent government intervention to halt severe riverbank erosion that threatens to destroy local homes, markets, and educational institutions.
The demonstration, held near the erosion-prone areas of West Bhuterdiya and North Baherchar Bazar, saw hundreds of participants, including students, teachers, business owners, and displaced families. Among those pleading for action was Tanha Akter, a fifth-grade student at the Madhya-Paschim Bhuterdiya Government Primary School. She warned that without immediate stabilization of the riverbank, the school will be lost, effectively ending the education of its pupils.
Current erosion, exacerbated by the onset of the monsoon season, has already claimed significant portions of the village. The encroaching waters now threaten the primary school, the Baherchar Adarsha Secondary School, and more than 50 residential properties. Local traders are particularly concerned about the North Baherchar market, a vital commercial hub for several surrounding villages that houses over 100 businesses.
Local resident Yusuf Chawkidar noted that while seasonal erosion is a recurring crisis, the current intensity is particularly alarming. Residents argue that sporadic, temporary measures such as the deployment of sandbags are insufficient to address the threat. Instead, community leaders, including Munna Hawlader, Ripon Hawlader, and school teacher Bazlur Rahman, have called for a sustainable, long-term riverbank protection project. They emphasize that authorities must identify and fortify vulnerable areas before the monsoon peak rather than reacting after land and infrastructure have already been lost.
Responding to the growing outcry, Javed Iqbal, Executive Engineer of the Barishal Water Development Board, stated that the agency plans to implement protective measures in phases. However, local stakeholders remain skeptical, warning that the pace of government planning may be too slow to save critical structures currently teetering on the edge of collapse. They have urged for immediate emergency measures to prevent further displacement and destruction of public assets.
0%
0%
0%
0%
