News Flash
By Md Mamun Islam
RANGPUR, March 7, 2026 (BSS) - Due to the bountiful crop yield in the char
areas and good market prices of the produce, an Eid atmosphere has been
created in the riverside char areas of the Rangpur region, where local
residents are now busy buying Eid items.
People living along the banks of the rivers and sandy char areas in Rangpur,
Gaibandha, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari districts are eagerly
preparing for the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations, along with harvesting
their cultivated crops.
Following the bumper crop yield in char areas this season, income-generating
activities, and changes in their socio-economic status with the benefits of
social safety-net programmes, the char people are now busy buying Eid items
within their capacities.
Previously, the char people had to live in indescribable misery as extreme
poverty consumed their fate, while child marriage, dowry, superstitions,
malnutrition, and lack of clean drinking water and hygienic sanitation
facilities made their lives miserable.
Currently, the situation in the vast char areas has changed where people are
earning well from their income-generating activities, animal husbandry and
crop cultivation, and preparing to celebrate the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr in a
festive atmosphere.
Talking to BSS, Dr Syed Shamsuzzaman, chairman of Rangpur-based research
organization 'North Bengal Institute of Development Studies', said that
despite living in adverse climatic conditions, the socio-economic condition
and livelihood of char people are improving.
"With the implementation of comprehensive social safety-net programmes,
income-enhancing activities and crop cultivation on about 82,000 hectares of
char land, the socio-economic conditions of char people in Rangpur region
continue to see positive changes," he said.
As a result, the Eid atmosphere is prevailing in char areas where local
people have started to gain economic base and improved livelihoods, while
also removing social curses through continued GO-NGO support and expansion of
crop cultivation.
"The government's intervention has stabilized the prices of essential
commodities and helped the people of Char live a better life. Many of them
are buying clothes and other Eid items to celebrate the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr
festival," said Dr Samsuzzaman.
Char people are now harvesting their cultivated crops in full swing and
getting excellent yield with rewarding market prices and taking preparations
with enthusiasm to celebrate the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr.
Farmer Aminul Islam of Char Taluk Shahbaz village in Kawnia upazila of
Rangpur told BSS that he is getting a bumper output with lucrative prices of
his cultivated crops in char lands on the dried-up Teesta riverbed this
season.
"I am getting excellent production of my cultivated groundnut, pumpkin,
onion, garlic and various vegetables on char lands with better market prices.
I am buying clothes and other Eid items for my children and family members,"
said a hippie Aminul Islam.
Shahinur Islam and Fancy Begum, a couple from Char Purbo Mohipur in
Gangachara Upazila of Rangpur, said they are now harvesting 'Khira',
potatoes, green chillies and other crops on two and a half acres of char land
on the dried-up Teesta riverbeds.
The couple has already sold harvested 'Khira', potatoes and other crops at
Taka 1.20 lakh and is expecting to earn a net profit of Taka 2.5-lakh
excluding all expenses after completing harvest by May next.
"We have already purchased clothes and other Eid items for our children and
family members with the money earned from selling our newly-harvested crops
to celebrate the up[coming Eid-ul-Fitr festival," said Shahinur Islam.
Char people Abdul Jalil, Mohsin Ali, Nur Islam, Anwar Hossain, Mokbul Hossain
and Kafil Uddin of village Paschim Mohipur in the upazila said they are
planning to buy Eid clothes and other items for their family members to
celebrate the Eid-ul-Fitr festival.
Deputy Director of the Burirhat Horticulture Center of the Department of
Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Rangpur Dr Md Abu Sayem said char people are
making good profits from crop farming on char lands every year in Rangpur
region.
"Eid fervor is prevailing in char areas where people are busy in harvesting
their cultivated crops and purchasing Eid items to celebrate the Eid-ul-Fitr
in a festive atmosphere," he added.
