Hundreds of families have been left homeless as severe erosion by the Jamuna River continues to devour homes and cropland in Manikganj’s Daulatpur upazila, while the area’s only secondary-level madrasa now stands on the brink of collapse.
Over the past several days, the river has washed away more than a hundred homesteads in Baghutia Union, forcing many families to seek shelter with relatives or under the open sky. Residents said the erosion is advancing rapidly, with fresh areas disappearing into the river almost every day.
Among the worst affected is 70-year-old Shanti Begum of Brahmandi village, who lost her home to the river for the third time.
Having rebuilt her house nearly two decades ago after previous episodes of erosion, she had hoped the latest settlement would be permanent. That hope ended late Sunday night when the river swallowed her last remaining shelter.
“The river has taken my home three times. I thought it would not happen again. Now I have nowhere to live. I have no food, no money, nothing left,” she said.
A visit to the area found residents dismantling houses to salvage building materials before the river reached them, while others watched helplessly as their homes collapsed into the water within hours.
The erosion has also put Charkalikapur Shukuria Dakhil Madrasa under serious threat. The Jamuna now flows only a few feet from the institution’s four-storey academic building after already washing away its boundary wall and toilet facilities.
Local residents fear the madrasa’s two buildings, constructed at a cost of around Tk 7 crore, could be lost if urgent protection measures are not taken.
The madrasa serves as the only secondary-level educational institution for several surrounding villages.
“There is no other high school in this area. If the madrasa is washed away, hundreds of students will lose access to education. The nearest school is three to four kilometres away, and reaching it requires crossing the river,” said local resident Chan Mia.
Mohammad Ariful Islam, student of the madrasa, said he feared his education would come to an end if the institution were lost.
“We have nowhere else to study. Travelling to a distant school is not possible for many of us,” he said.
Residents alleged that years of illegal sand extraction from the Jamuna have accelerated the erosion by altering the river’s natural course.
“Illegal dredging has continued for years despite repeated complaints. Sand is still being extracted downstream. That is one of the main reasons behind the increasing erosion,” alleged local resident Harunur Rashid.
Another erosion victim, Nurunnahar, said she lost almost everything before she could react.
“My house, belongings, and even my poultry were washed away. I managed to save only a few cooking utensils with the help of neighbours,” she said.
Rahima Begum said loud cracking sounds woke her shortly after midnight.
“Large sections of land were collapsing into the river. Before we could move anything, our house and livestock were gone,” she said.
The Bangladesh Water Development Board has started placing geo-bags along the riverbank in front of the madrasa in an attempt to slow the erosion.
However, residents said the measure would only provide temporary relief and demanded a permanent river training project as well as strict action against illegal sand extraction.
Muhammad Akhtaruzzaman, executive engineer of the Manikganj Water Development Board, said the entire char area consists of loose sandy soil, making it highly vulnerable to erosion.
“A feasibility study is required before any long-term river protection project can be undertaken. For now, geo-bags are being placed on an emergency basis to protect the madrasa,” he said.
As the erosion continues, residents fear the damage will worsen unless permanent river protection measures are implemented and affected families are rehabilitated.
