Padma devours 3km of Faridpur area amid alleged illegal sand mining

Around 1,000 families in Kabirpur area of North Channel union in Faridpur Sadar upazila have lost their homes and farmland due to severe Padma river erosion, which locals blame on illegal sand extraction.
An influential businessman from the C&B Ghat area has allegedly been extracting sand from the riverbank using dredgers for years, despite holding a government lease for designated areas in Harirampur upazila of Manikganj, local residents and public representatives alleged.
They alleged that the leased areas in Manikganj were being shown as the source of extraction while sand was illegally dredged from Kabirpur in Faridpur, taking advantage of the proximity of the two areas.
The illegal extraction has intensified river erosion, particularly during the current monsoon season. In recent days, around three kilometres of the area have reportedly been washed away, destroying homes, farmland, schools, madrasas and several major culverts. 
Many displaced families are now living in difficult conditions in different areas after losing their homes and livelihoods. Mustafa and Sarwar, members of wards 3 and 4 of North Channel union, alleged that around 1,000 families had been displaced by illegal sand extraction, but the Water Development Board and district administration had yet to take effective action to stop it. An elderly victim, Achia Begum, said her family had lost its land and become destitute due to the erosion.
The local residents have called on the government, concerned authorities and public representatives to intervene immediately to stop illegal sand extraction and prevent further erosion. Meanwhile, Faridpur Water Development Board Executive Engineer Md Rakib Hasan could not be reached for comment.