Severe erosion along the Jamuna River in the Monniachar area of Islampur Upazila, Jamalpur District, has left hundreds of families homeless and put educational institutions, cropland, roads, and other infrastructure at risk.
According to locals, with water levels in the Jamuna rising, erosion has intensified in recent days, washing away hundreds of houses and several hundred bighas of agricultural land.
They saidd schools, mosques, madrasas, solar power facilities, and government and private establishments worth an estimated Tk 8 crore are now under threat.
Unable to secure an immediate solution, residents have begun constructing temporary bamboo barriers at their own expense in an attempt to slow the erosion.
Char Monnia village under Belgachha Union suffered extensive losses last year, and the situation has worsened this year due to untimely erosion. Homes belonging to numerous families have already disappeared into the river, while the erosion continues at an alarming pace.
Riverbank residents are spending sleepless nights fearing further losses. They warned that unless urgent protective measures are taken, the nearly 70-year-old Char Monnia village could vanish entirely.
Many displaced families have already left the area and taken shelter elsewhere. Community members have organized human chains and submitted repeated appeals to authorities, but no effective action has yet been taken, they alleged.
“We are trying to protect the area with bamboo embankments using our own resources, but this is only a temporary measure,” said local residents.
Headmaster of Monnia High School, Amjad Hossain, said the institution could be lost within days if erosion continues unchecked.
“If urgent action is not taken, this historic educational institution may disappear. The education sector in the area will suffer significantly,” he said.
Shamsunnahar Khanam, head teacher of South Monnia Government Primary School, said the river is now only a few hundred yards from the school.
“More than a hundred students study here. We need a permanent solution to save the school and surrounding community,” she said.
