Waterlogged and forgotten: Over 5 lakh trapped in Jashore’s Bhabodah

Banglapress Published: 23 September 2025, 10:26 AM

Waterlogged and forgotten: Over 5 lakh trapped in Jashore’s Bhabodah

Bangla Press Desk: What was once a mosaic of fertile fields and vibrant villages in Bhabodah of Jashore district has now been swallowed by weeks of floodwater, showing no sign of receding! More than five lakh people in over 150 villages across Jashore and Khulna districts are trapped in a worsening humanitarian crisis, their homes, schools, farmland and livelihoods devastated. The deluge, triggered by torrential July rainfall, has been compounded by years of river siltation, poor drainage and what locals describe as ‘decades of mismanagement’. The worst-hit areas are Abhaynagar, Manirampur, and Keshabpur in Jashore and Dumuria and Phultala in Khulna.

On August 7, the Bhabodah Water Management Songram Committee submitted a six-point demand to the Jashore Deputy Commissioner, holding the Water Development Board (WDB) directly responsible for it. Among their demands are the opening of all sluice gate vents, acquisition of land for the Amdanga canal, and fast-tracking the 81-kilometre river dredging project. At present, only eight of the 21 vents in the Bhabodah sluice gate are operational, far from sufficient to drain the floodwaters. The committee alleges that poor decisions by the WDB have severely hindered natural water outflow. Though an estimated Tk 1,250 crore was spent on Bhabodah-related projects over the past decade, locals claim no sustainable solution has been achieved. Allegations of corruption in project implementation are rife, with much of the funding reportedly misappropriated.

A Chinese expert team recently visited the Bhabodah sluice gate and offered long-term solutions, yet public trust remains low. Repeated unfulfilled promises and a lack of transparency have eroded confidence among flood-affected residents. Experts continue to advocate for the TRM (Tidal River Management) method, which utilises natural tidal flows to remove silt and restore river navigability. A pilot TRM project in Beel Khukshia was previously successful and is now seen as a potential long-term remedy for Bhabodah. The local committee has urged immediate implementation of TRM as part of their demands.

Nearly five lakh residents face an uncertain future, their only hope lying in urgent government action—grounded not merely in funding and promises but in transparent and accountable delivery of sustainable solutions. Experts also point to unplanned human interference in natural waterways as a major cause of the crisis. Tidal flows, once instrumental in keeping local rivers navigable, have been disrupted by the construction of coastal polders in the 1960s and poorly planned sluice gates and embankments. Excessive silt buildup now causes floodwaters to spill into residential areas during monsoons. A visit to several villages in Manirampur upazila, including Kultia, Lakhidanga, Baje Kultia, Aminpur and Hasadanga, revealed the dire conditions. Laxmi Rani Biswas of Lakhaidanga lamented, “How long must we live in water like this? There’s no point in asking anyone for help anymore.”

Mita Khatun of Aminpur said their home has remained flooded for over a month, forcing them to cook on the veranda. Ranjit Bawali, convener of the Bhabodah Water Management Songram Committee, criticised successive governments for allocating hundreds of crores without delivering results. “Most of the funds went into the pockets of corrupt WDB officials and local representatives,” he alleged. Palash Banarjee, Executive Engineer of the WDB’s Jashore division, said a Tk 140-crore proposal for dredging rivers and canals in Bhabodah area is awaiting ECNEC approval. “If implemented, these projects could ease the waterlogging. Education has also been severely affected.” The playground of Bhulbari Government Primary School in Manirampur has been submerged for nearly a month, with classes conducted in makeshift shelters. Nitya Biswas, head of the school’s Parents-Teachers Association, erected a bamboo tent in his yard where teacher Shipra Sarker conducted third-term exams on August 18. At least 50 educational institutions in the Bhabodah region, including Kumashima, Hatgacha, Panchkatia, and Mohishdia government primary schools, are partially or fully flooded, with some forced to suspend classes entirely. Students such as Anika, Sagar Das, Sadhana Biswas, and Anushka Chakraborty report wading through waist-deep water just to reach school. Headmaster Pranesh Biswas confirmed that makeshift arrangements are being used since the grounds have been underwater for over a month. Abu Motaleb, Manirampur Upazila Primary Education Officer, said efforts are ongoing to continue lessons through alternative means, despite 14 government primary schools being inundated. Secondary Education Officer ASM Zillur Rashid added that at least 25 schools, colleges and madrasas have had their playgrounds submerged, forcing many institutions to halt operations. For the residents of Bhabodah, the floodwaters have not just displaced their homes as they have disrupted their very way of life. With over five lakh people waiting for tangible solutions, the call for accountable, long-term measures has never been more urgent. This article was originally published on Daily Sun.

[Bangla Press is a global platform for free thought. It provides impartial news, analysis, and commentary for independent-minded individuals. Our goal is to bring about positive change, which is more important today than ever before.]

Waterlogged and forgotten: Over 5 lakh trapped in Jashore’s Bhabodah

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