river-erosion

The historic Banishanta brothel in Dacope upazila of Khulna is facing an existential threat due to the strong current and regular erosion of the Pashur River. Established in 1954 after the establishment of Mongla Port, the nearly seven-decade old government registered brothel is now on the verge of being washed away into the river. Meanwhile, many houses and roads have already been washed away by river erosion. Cracks have also appeared in many of the remaining houses. As a result, the re...

The launch left Sadarghat an hour after the evening azan, and by the time it crossed into the wider water I had stopped pretending to read. There is an hour on the rivers of this country when the light gives up all at once, the way a sick man gives up, and the far bank turns from green to grey to a long black seam. The wind off the water in Bhadra carries a chill that has nothing to do with the temperature. I was travelling to photograph a house before the river ate it. That was the...

Fifty feet of land along Bhuterdia and Chhanikedarpur villages was washed away into the Sugandha River in one week. Photo: Agamir Somoy Homes, farmland and trees are disappearing one after another due to river erosion. Many families have left their homesteads and taken shelter elsewhere amid fears of further erosion. Some are still living at risk along the riverbank. Yet the river continues to consume more land. Hundreds of families in Bhuterdia and Chhanikedarpur villages of Kedarpur Un...