Hundreds of families have been rendered homeless as the Brahmaputra River continues to erode vast stretches of land in Islampur upazila of Jamalpur, sweeping away homes, cropland and local infrastructure.
The worst-affected areas are Lakshmipur Ghonapara and Dakshin Para under Char Goalini Union, where hundreds of houses, numerous structures and thousands of acres of farmland have already been swallowed by the river, according to local residents.
With the river's water level continuing to rise, erosion has intensified in recent days. Homes and agricultural land are disappearing within minutes, forcing families to flee with whatever belongings they can salvage. Several houses collapsed into the river overnight before residents had a chance to remove their possessions, leaving many families sheltering in the open with little more than the clothes they were wearing.
Residents, including Nakib Uddin, Sultan Mahmud, Barek Mia and Ismail Hossain, said panic and uncertainty had gripped the area as the river continued to advance. They urged the government to build a permanent embankment, warning that the entire locality could be washed away if urgent protective measures are not taken.
Islampur Upazila Nirbahi Officer Shah Md Zobayer said the administration had repeatedly informed the Jamalpur Water Development Board (WDB) about the worsening erosion and was closely monitoring the situation.
"We hope the necessary measures to control the erosion will be taken as soon as possible," he said.
Executive Engineer of the Jamalpur WDB Nakibuzzaman Khan said higher authorities had already been notified.
"Emergency protection work, including the dumping of geo-bags, will begin shortly to curb further erosion," he said.
The affected residents have also called for immediate rehabilitation and relief support for families who have lost their homes and land to the relentless river erosion.
