Partha Chakrabortty

Thousands of people living in Kashipur, Makrail, Ramchandrapur, and Naokhola villages along the bank of the Madhumati in Narail’s Lohagara upazila are having sleepless nights as the river’s erosion has turned severe recently.

Students at Uttar Pingoria Government Primary School in Bagerhat’s Kachua upazila are enduring dire learning conditions due to the lack of a proper building.

The five recorded canals of Bagerhat municipality have been encroached upon, with illegal permanent structures erected along their banks.

These include the century-old Hathbaria Zamindar Palace, Hathbaria temple, and Nam Ghat (also known as Badha Ghat) on the bank of Chitra river, among others

Over years of use and lack of maintenance, the bridge's iron pillars have become rusty while the wooden planks used for its deck have become loose, making it no longer fit for movement of people and vehicles

Watermelons are currently being sold at Tk 50 per kilogramme, with a variety of sizes and types available across the region

The persistent crisis of water in Bagerhat Municipality has worsened in recent time, leaving the residents suffering immensely.

Speakers at the event urged the authorities to take immediate action to protect the country’s rivers