River erosion cuts off Jhalakathi village, turns it into island

Residents rely entirely on boats now, with no road connecting them to the mainland

Continuous erosion by the Bishkhali and Gazalia rivers has cut off Islamabad village in Jhalakathi's Nalchity from the mainland, turning it into an island.

The remaining 45 families staying in the surviving portion of the village are living in deep uncertainty, with helpless households fearing the entire locality could soon be swallowed by the twin rivers unless immediate protection measures are taken.

The village, in Ranapasha union, has a government primary school, but poor connectivity and other hardships have sharply cut its student numbers, from more than 100 at one point to just 40 now.

Resident Md Shah Alam Howlader said his family once owned considerable land, all of it lost to river erosion, leaving him living in fear that what little remains will be swallowed next.

"I can't sleep peacefully even at night," he added.

Another resident, Rabeya Begum, detailed the ordeal of transporting patients by boat -- their sole transport link -- which grinds to a halt during heavy storms, severely disrupting school commutes.

Locals said Islamabad village became completely cut off from the mainland after severe erosion in 2016.

River water now surrounds the village on all sides, with no road access left.

Waterways remain the only lifeline for residents, who depend on boats and trawlers for healthcare, education, shopping and other essential needs, with the hardship worsening during the monsoon.

Many families have lost everything to repeated bouts of erosion.

Surviving residents said farmland, homesteads and other structures continue to be swallowed by the Bishkhali and Gazalia rivers, leaving them living in constant fear.

Zakir Hossain, a Ranapasha Union council member, said the people of the village had long been fighting a losing battle against river erosion, with many families already forced to leave after losing their homesteads and farmland.

Those still living there faced grave risk, he said, adding that the matter had been raised repeatedly with the local administration and authorities, and warning that the rest of the village would be lost to the river without swift, effective embankment protection.

AKM Niloy Pasha, executive engineer of Jhalakathi Water Development Board, said Islamabad village's geographic position, on an island-like landform in the middle of the river rather than along its main bank, meant the board's usual bank-protection projects could not be directly applied there, citing legal and technical constraints under current government policy.

He said the matter could be taken up for special consideration by higher authorities if the local MP submitted a formal letter of request.

Nalchity Upazila administrator (additional charge) Rizvi Ahmed Shabuz said the administration was aware of the hardship facing the cut-off community, and that steps would be taken swiftly to address the residents' safety and humanitarian needs.