Brahmaputra river: Erosion pushes village in Kurigram to the brink

Shukherbati in Kurigram's Roumari upazila stands on the verge of extinction as the Brahmaputra continues to erode its banks with growing ferocity.

One after another, homesteads and farmlands are being devoured by the river. Many have begun relocating to safer places before the river reaches their doorsteps.

The village is home to more than 200 farming families in Char Shoulmari union. Over the past week, the river has devoured dozens of homesteads, croplands, and vital infrastructure, leaving families displaced and destitute.

"I lost everything -- my two bighas of farmland were swallowed by the river just last week, and my eight-decimal homestead vanished on Tuesday afternoon," said Mahibur Rahman, 60, a marginal farmer who now shelters his six-member family along a government road.

Day labourer Mokhles Mia, 55, said, "I lost my home to the river and sheltered at a relative's house. For four days now, erosion has intensified. The river is taking away land faster than ever."

AKHM Saidur Rahman, chairman of Char Shoulmari Union Parishad, said at least 60 houses have already been lost to the Brahmaputra in four weeks, and the entire village is under threat.

"Although Water Development Board officials have visited the site, no measures have been taken to prevent further erosion," he alleged.

Officials from the Water Development Board confirmed that visits were made by engineers from the Rangpur Circle on April 8 and again by the Design Circle and Kurigram division on April 18.

However, Kurigram WDB Executive Engineer Rakibul Hasan said they could not take immediate action due to a lack of allocated funds. "We've informed the higher authorities. Once funds are sanctioned, we'll start the emergency protection work," he said.