Border tensions rise as Indians cultivate Bangladeshi land

S.A. Shafi, Sylhet:

In Zakiganj, a border town in Sylhet, the embankments along the Surma and Kushiyara rivers remain unprotected in over fifty locations. Years of erosion have pushed these rivers at least one kilometer inside the Bangladesh border, and large portions of land once belonging to Bangladesh are now being cultivated by Indian nationals.

Locals are growing increasingly anxious as the Water Development Board (PAUBO) has been unable to repair flood protection embankments due to repeated obstruction by India’s Border Security Force (BSF). Residents fear severe flooding this monsoon season, especially as last year’s flood damages have yet to be fully addressed.

Recently, several social and political organizations held protests demanding immediate renovation of the embankments. They also submitted memorandums to the Ministry of Water Resources.

Even members of the Zakiganj diaspora in London have sought political intervention abroad, citing India’s unwarranted interference. A field visit revealed that during last year’s devastating floods, the embankments broke in at least 45–50 places, submerging homes, farmland, and infrastructure. While PAUBO initiated repairs by inviting tenders and assigning contractors, the BSF reportedly halted work as soon as soil dumping began.