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Published : 24 May 2025, 02:31 AM
More than a hundred cattle have been swept away by a sudden tidal surge while crossing a canal in Munshiganj’s Gajaria Upazila, with 36 later found dead.
The incident occurred around 4pm on Friday near Bhati Balaki village in Hosendee union, where the canal is connected to the Meghna River, said Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), or Upazila Executive Officer, Md Ashraful Alam.
According to local residents, the cattle from the village go to graze in nearby wetlands every morning and return home in the evening by crossing the canal, which is heavily clogged with water hyacinths.
On Friday, while returning home, the cattle were caught off guard by a sudden surge in tidal currents.
Villagers rushed out of their homes and began searching frantically for the missing animals.
Women and children gathered on the canal bank, many breaking down in tears as the scene turned heartbreaking.
Almost every household in the village has been affected, with the incident delivering a severe blow just ahead of Eid-ul-Azha.
Shyamal Khan, a local resident, said: “Most of us here rely on farming. Everyone owns at least one or two cows, grazing them on the island near the village.
“The canal linking our land to the Meghna River is where the disaster occurred.”
“This is a day of sorrow for our village,” he added. “Everyone has suffered. Farmers are devastated, with losses amounting to hundreds of thousands of taka — many are nearly out of their minds in despair.”
Farmer Md Mohasin, who lost four cattle, broke down in tears and said: “Nothing like this has ever happened in my life. We never imagined this could occur. I’ve lost everything, I’ve become a beggar on the street.”
Abu Taleb Sujon Khan, another farmer, said: “Many are still looking for their missing cattle.”
Union Parishad Chairman Monirul Haque Mithu said he had asked the local ward member to investigate the situation immediately.
Gazaria Upazila Agriculture Officer Md Faisal Arafat Bin Siddique said, “We’ll support the affected farmers in every way we can.”
UNO Ashraful confirmed the death toll and added that more information would be collected.
“The loss is massive. The administration will do whatever possible to help the farmers,” he said.
