In the last two months, about two and a half hundred houses, graveyards, prayer grounds and hundreds of bighas of cultivable crop lands have been reported being eroded in the riverbed due to the erosion of Jamuna river in Char Nagdah, Char Paikhand and Khoddatpur mouzas of Haturia Nakalia union of Bera upazila of Pabna district. Various establishments including Charnagdah and Charpaikhand Government Primary School, Madrasa, Nagdah Bazar are under threat of river erosion.
Locals including residents of Charnagdah village and UP member of ward 9, Zahid Mollah, former UP members Yunus Ali, Maidan Mollah, Ismail Master, Omar Ali Mollah, Abu Saeed and others said that in the last three years, Thousands of bighas of arable land, more than four hundred houses and vast vegetation have disappeared in the riverbed. Hundreds of people in these areas have become destitute after losing arable land and houses. Many peasant people are now making a living by working as day laborers in other people's houses. Again, many have lost everything and are living a dehumanized life.
Regarding the erosion, Haturia Nakalia UP Chairman Abdul Hamid said, "I have personally visited the eroded area with the officials of the upazila administration after receiving the news that houses, lands and deposits in the village of Charnagdah have been washed away by the erosion of the river Jamuna."
Bera Upazila Executive Officer Sabur Ali said that the matter of demolition of char areas has been informed to Bera Water Development Board, Local MP-1 Shamsul Haque Tuku MP Sir. In the meantime, 30 kg of rice has been distributed among more than 100 families affected by the river erosion and they are being investigated.
