Lakshmipur char residents suffer amid prolonged boundary dispute

Residents of Bayarchar, an isolated char on the banks of the River Meghna in Ramgati upazila of Lakshmipur, are enduring severe hardship due to a longstanding boundary dispute between Ramgati and Hatia upazilas.
Locals said nearly 100,000 people live on the char, yet they remain deprived of basic civic amenities, including education, healthcare, and law enforcement, as authorities cite jurisdictional complications.
Besides, Bayarchar, surrounded by the Meghna and the Bhulua rivers, has a poor communication infrastructure. Although a road connects it to Ramgati Upazila headquarters, it remains largely unusable. During emergencies, residents must travel around 20 kilometres, often by risky waterways, to reach medical facilities, including the Ramgati Upazila Health Complex. There are no functional health centres on the char, and most areas lack adequate educational institutions, leaving generations at risk of illiteracy. Internet and mobile network access are also largely unavailable, further isolating the area.
Development activities have stalled due to ongoing legal disputes between Ramgati in Lakshmipur and Hatia in Noakhali. Despite a court verdict in 2007 declaring Bayarchar part of Ramgati, locals allege that administrative inaction and political apathy persist.
Two police outposts on the char currently remain vacant, as law enforcement withdrew citing safety concerns amid the presence of pirates, land grabbers, and armed groups. This has left residents vulnerable to crime and exploitation. Locals reported frequent harassment by criminal groups and said repeated appeals to authorities have gone unanswered. They alleged that both upazila administrations shift responsibility onto each other, effectively denying residents access to legal and humanitarian services.
Efforts to resolve the dispute date back to at least 2014, when then lawmakers from Lakshmipur-4 and Noakhali-6 constituencies held meetings with the district administration, but no lasting solution was achieved.
Residents have staged protests and human chains demanding security, development, and a clear administrative resolution. They say political leaders make promises during elections but fail to deliver afterward.
Ramgati Police Station Officer-in-Charge said police were withdrawn due to security risks and conflicting claims over jurisdiction. He added that law enforcement would resume duties once the dispute is resolved.
Meanwhile, Parliament Member (MP) of Lakshmipur-4 constituency ABM Ashraf Uddin Nizan said the issue has persisted for nearly three decades but expressed optimism that ongoing discussions with the Noakhali-6 MP could lead to a resolution.
Residents of Bayarchar called for urgent government intervention to ensure security, restore basic services, and implement a permanent administrative solution.