Kurigram residents demand permanent embankment

Teachers, students and local residents formed a human chain at Jagmon Char in Bhogdanga Union of Kurigram Sadar Upazila on Sunday, demanding the construction of a permanent embankment and measures to prevent continued erosion by the Dharla River.

More than 400 students, schoolteachers, guardians and local residents participated in the human chain, organised in the area adjacent to Jagman Char Private Primary School on Sunday afternoon.

Speakers at the human chain said that over the past few years, erosion by the Dharla River has submerged vast areas of cropland and residential areas in Jagman Char. The erosion has now reached very close to schools, madrasas and mosques.

They said that if a permanent embankment is not constructed soon, these important structures, along with the homes of hundreds of families, could be washed away by the river.

Meanwhile, local resident Kobad Ali said, “Every year, the river takes away our homes and land. It is not possible to protect them from erosion without a permanent embankment.”

Kashem Ali said that if the school is washed away by the river, hundreds of children in the char area will lose their opportunity to continue their education. Therefore, effective measures must be taken immediately, he added.

The participants of the human chain called for urgent government intervention to construct a permanent embankment along the Dharla River and ensure long-term protection for the erosion-affected areas.