Erosion upends lives along Khowai river

Husen Mia, a farmer from Radhanagar village in Habiganj, is one of many who have lost everything to the  Khowai river .
Erosion along the river has worsened lately, following recent floods. The river has swallowed everything within its path — croplands, homes and even entire villages.
“The tide came a month back, and when the water receded, my house was gone,” said Husen. He is now seeking refuge in a neighbour’s house.
At least a dozen others echoed similar stories.
The river, originating in India’s Atharamura Hills, flows through five upazilas in Bangladesh before reaching the Meghna. Every monsoon, floods cause severe erosion. At least 50 sites were affected this year, including Rajar Bazar in Chunarughat, Alapur in Shayestaganj, and Tegharia in Sadar upazila.
Sahena Banu, another Radhanagar resident, said, “Everything I had, including my home, was destroyed.”
Meanwhile, a river protection dam near Tegharia is at risk. Locals fear that if the dam breaks, their entire village will be submerged.
Shamim Hasnain Mahmud, executive engineer of the Habiganj Water Development Board, said, “We are compiling a list of erosion sites and hope to start repairs if funding is secured in November-December.”
Syeda Rizwana Hassan, adviser to the environment ministry, and Farooq E Azam, adviser to the disaster management ministry, recently visited the Khowai river, vowing to hold discussions with locals and take necessary action.