Hundreds of families from six villages have lost almost everything due to the continuous erosion of the Padma River, here blocking Kushtia-Pabna highway for three hours. The blockade started at 12:pm that continued until 2:pm on Tuesday.
The protesters withdrew the blockade after receiving assurances from the administration regarding effective action soon.
The participants included families from villages of Hogolbaria, Baruipara, Talbaria, Khadimpur, Sahebnagar, Mirzapur, and Ghoramara of Mirpur upazila of Kushtia.
Earlier on Monday, the same distressed families besieged the office of Kushtia Water Development Board (WDB).
The victims started a protest by blocking the highway in the Talbaria area. The traffic on the only connecting road between the northern and southern regions went into a halt, disrupting communication. This time, long-distance travellers faced extreme difficulties.
Later, following the instructions of Kushtia’s acting Deputy commissioner Sharmin Akter, the upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Bheramara, Akash Kumar Kundu, and the executive engineer of Kushtia Water Development Board, Rashidur Rahman rushed to the spot and talked to protesters.
After assurances of immediate steps, the protesters withdrew the blockade.
Traffic got normal by 3:30 PM.
Rashidur Rahman, executive engineer of the Water Development Board, said that work on dumping geo bags and tube bags in the erosion-hit areas, including the Sahebnagar embankment, would begin soon. He also mentioned that permanent embankment construction would begin within two months.