Zakir Hossain Khan, Patharghata (Barguna)

Local residents have formed a human chain in Barguna's Patharghata Upazila, calling for the construction of a sustainable embankment to provide permanent protection from river erosion, tidal waves and frequent natural disasters.

On Friday (July 17) at 10 am, hundreds of villagers stood on the broken berry embankment in the Jintala Panchchunga sluice area of Sadar Union of the upazila and participated in the program. The entire area was filled with the slogan "No relief, we want a permanent solution."

Participants in the human chain said that the area from Jintala to Badurtala has been under serious risk for a long time. Thousands of people in Padma and Ruhita Bhangan villages are living in constant fear. They said that the dams damaged after the devastating cyclone Sidr in 2007 have not yet been permanently rebuilt, which has become a major source of frustration for the locals.

Locals complain that although attempts have been made to temporarily repair the embankment by dumping sandbags at various times, it has not brought any long-term solution. On the contrary, despite spending a huge amount of government money on it, the situation has not improved much. At the slightest tide or disaster, the embankment breaks and water enters the crop fields, submerging homes, damaging agriculture and public life.

The victims also said that thousands of people have already become landless due to the continuous river erosion since Cedar. Many families are still living in inhumane conditions by hanging polythene sheets on the broken embankments. Their lives have become full of uncertainty due to the lack of safe shelter and livelihood.

Locals present at the human chain expressed their fears that if immediate and effective action is not taken, thousands more families may be displaced in the future. Long-term planning and construction of sustainable infrastructure are urgently needed to protect this erosion-prone area in the southernmost part of the country.

Present at the human chain were acting union chairman Sagir Alam, former joint convener of the upazila BNP Badiuzzaman Shahed, former vice-president of the Patharghata Upazila Volunteer Party Md. Mahabur Rahman Sumon Molla, some UP members of the area, local dignitaries, political leaders, journalists and people from different walks of life.

At this time, acting chairman Chhagir Alam said, "The embankment on which we are standing can collapse at any moment. Already, four to five points of this union are in a very risky condition, which is posing a major threat to the local people."

Mahabur Rahman Sumon Molla said, "We want a sustainable beri embankment. Not just a temporary solution with soil or sand bags, but a permanent solution must be taken by placing blocks here. Otherwise, this three-kilometer beri embankment may disappear within 15 days."

In his speech, Badiuzzaman Shahed said, "The place where we are standing is a very risky area, the mouth of Bishkhali, Baleshwar and the Bay of Bengal. The people here have been living in fear for ages. They spend their days and nights in fear of when the tidal waves will break the embankment and drown their homes."

He further said that people had almost lost hope as there was no permanent solution to this long-standing crisis. However, now a new ray of hope is appearing. He expressed optimism that a permanent solution to this problem is possible with the sincere efforts of Alhaj Nurul Islam Moni, Member of Parliament for Barguna-2 constituency and Chief Whip of the National Parliament, who is a proud son of Patharghata.