7 villages wiped out by erosion
Home Desk
SEVEN villages have been wiped out by river erosion in Chapainawabganj and Kurigram during the last few weeks.
Erosion by the mighty River Padma has taken a serious turn at Shibpur upazila in Chapainawab-ganj, rendering over 3,600 people in four villages homeless, according to UNB report.
Local sources said over 600 dwelling houses, a market place and two mosques of Joardarpara, Majhpara, Dakatpara and Babupur of Ujirpur and Daka unions have gone into the gorge of the Padma during the last few weeks.
People of three other villages, who came under erosion threat, also have started leaving their ancestral homesteads. The villages are Atrashia, Durlavpur and Lakshmipur.
‘I’ve to remove my house for the third time because of the erosion and now I’m totally penniless,’ said a dejected
Shefali Begum of erosion-hit Joardarpara village.
KM Nazmul Huda, executive engineer of the Water Development Board, confirming the fury of erosion told the news agency that necessary measures could not be taken yet for want of fund.
He also informed that the WDB has already undertaken a project, involving Tk 157.18 crore, to save sadar and Shibganj upazilas. The project proposal has been sent to the Planning Commission for approval, he added.
Huda apprehended that erosion could cause more devastation if necessary measures for land-protection are not taken right now.
The WDB had undertaken the left bank protection project of Padma during 2001-2002 financial year.
Under the project, eight solid spurs, a 20-km dam, 10 connecting canals and two cross-dams have been constructed.
The New Age Kurigram correspondent reports that the river erosion has taken a serious turn at Ulipur upazila. The Brahmapaputra and Teesta have devoured three villages including four schools at the upazila over the last two weeks.
The villages are Shantoshavi-ram, Char Bazra and Anantapur Majheepara. Some four thousand people of the villages have become homeless due to the erosion. They have taken shelter to open sky or other places and passing their days in inhuman condition.
Only one out of the four schools could be shifted to other places. Uncertainty looms over the future of the students of the rest of the schools.
Power office attacked in N’ganj
United News of Bangladesh . Narayanganj
MUSLIM devotees of different mosques Tuesday night attacked the Fatulla power sub-station, protesting power failure during ‘tarabi’ prayers.
Local sources said as power went off during the prayers, hundreds of devotees took to the street and staged demonstration in front of the Fatulla power station at Panchabati at about 9:00pm. They also blocked the Dhaka-Narayanganj Highway halting traffic movement for about one hour.
BNP leader shot dead in Pirojpur
Our Correspondent . Barisal
ASSAILANTS shot dead a BNP leader and injured four members of his family at village Bhechki under Mathbaria upazila in Pirojpur early Tuesday.
The deceased is Anwar Hossain Matubbar, 60, vice-president of the Tikikata union BNP.
The police said the assailants entered the house of Anwar at midnight and started beating up his family members after they had failed to find him anywhere in the house. As Anwar was trying to sneak in through the back door, they shot at him, injuring him critically. He died on way to the hospital.
The injured — victim’s wife Maleka Begum, 53, son Farid Hossain Matubbar, 26, daughters Rubi Aktar, 25, and Shilpi Aktar, 22 — were admitted to hospital and clinics.
Several hundred people brought out a procession in the area, protesting against the killing and demanding immediate arrest of the killers.
Humayun Kabir, additional police super of Pirojpur, visited the spot. A case was filed. But the police could neither arrest anybody nor to ascertain the reason behind the killing till Wednesday evening.
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