Bogura Correspondent:

Continuous rainfall over the past few days, coupled with an upstream surge, has triggered severe erosion along the Jamuna River at Shaharbari village in Dhunot upazila of Bogura.

The strong currents have caused a large banyan tree at the Shaharbari ferry terminal, along with several nearby shops, to collapse into the river.

Locals have accused Belal Hossain, relief affairs secretary of the Dhunot upazila unit of Jubo League and lessee of a local sand quarry, of being responsible for the erosion. They allege that his unrestricted sand extraction, carried out with the support of influential BNP leaders, has accelerated the riverbank collapse.

According to locals, the heavy rainfall and upstream surge have intensified river erosion south of the flood control embankment in Dhunot. Farmlands and the Shaharbari ferry terminal area are being eroded continuously.

Although most businesses have already relocated from the area, some establishments have been lost to the river. Residents involved in embankment protection efforts said nearly 100 meters of land have disappeared into the river in just the last two days.

Officials from the Bogura Water Development Board (WDB) said the heavy rainfall and upstream flow have increased water levels in the Jamuna, causing strong currents and whirlpools that initiated the erosion. As a result, the Shaharbari ferry terminal has been submerged.

Villagers, including Shafiqul Islam, Mizanur Rahman, and Soikat Hasan, said Belal Hossain has been extracting sand from the quarry since the previous Awami League government and continues to do so even after the recent political shift, now with the backing of local BNP leaders.

They added that Belal ignored repeated requests to stop sand lifting near the site where BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman had planted a banyan tree about 25 years ago—a tree that once offered shade to char residents waiting for boats at the terminal.

Resident Bachchu Mia claimed that unchecked sand extraction led to the disappearance of nearly 300 bighas of land north of the Shaharbari spur last year.

“These sand miners must be brought under the law,” he said.

WDB Sub-Divisional Engineer Sohel Rana said geo-bags filled with sand had previously been used to prevent erosion in the area.

“Water levels in the Jamuna rose by 99 centimeters on Wednesday but are still flowing below the danger level,” he said, adding that water levels are expected to drop within two days.