Photo : BSS

RANGPUR, Mar 11, 2025 (BSS) – People affected by the Teesta river erosion today staged a sit-in protest in front of the Northern Zone office of Water Development Board (WDB) demanding construction of embankment to protect them from the river erosion. 
 
They carried various livelihood tools such as fishing nets, ploughs, yokes, ladders, and spray machines with them while taking part in the sit-in protest programme this afternoon.
 
The participants included farmers, fishermen, farm-labourers, homeless and landless people and others affected by the erosion along the Teesta River in Rangpur, Lalmonirhat, Gaibandha, Nilphamari and Kurigram districts. 
 
Addressing the event, Mohammad Mujibur Rahman, a farmer from village Boirati in Kaliganj of Lalmonirhat district said that he was completely devastated and all his seven bighas of land had washed away in recent times. 
 
“Losing everything, I am now working as a laborer in someone else's house. The situation is dire. I haven't even been able to arrange food during the holy month of Ramadan. If the embankment is built, our homes might still be saved from further erosion," he added.
 
Victim Md Shahidul Islam from Gangachara upazila in Rangpur said, "If the embankment is not built, our situation will worsen. If water enters in the upcoming rainy season, the Teesta will wash everything away. 
 
“Homes and properties of many of our river side people are already on the verge of collapse. Please arrange to build the embankment immediately," he appealed.
 
The area from Shahidul's house in Gangachara of Rangpur to Boirati village in Lalmonirhat is severely affected by river erosion. 
 
The protesters demanded construction of an embankment and submitted a memorandum to the Water Resources Adviser of the interim government through the Chief Engineer of Northern Zone Md Mahbubur Rahman.
 
Chief Engineer of WDB’s Northern Zone Md Mahbubur Rahman said if the Teesta Master Plan implementation process is delayed, we will request a project allocation for embankment construction in the affected area. 
 
“I have immediately forwarded the memorandum submitted by the protesters to the Water Resources Adviser of the interim government."
 
Meanwhile, the Teesta River's integrated dredging and restoration activities under the proposed Teesta Master Plan project are being discussed in public hearings in greater Rangpur aiming at implementing the project in future.