Farmers across the Dingapota Haor basin in Mohanganj Upazila, Netrokona, have been plunged into deep anxiety following the systematic theft of more than 2,000 revetment concrete blocks from the Chorhaijda flood protection embankment.
The systematic looting commenced late on the night of 18 August directly in front of Karachapur village within Gaglajur Union. Local residents reported that gangs of local perpetrators have continued to dismantle the essential infrastructure night after night under the cover of darkness. Deeply alarmed by the potential for catastrophic structural failure, Water Development Board (WDB) Sub-Assistant Engineer Md Enayet Hossain lodged a formal General Diary (GD) with Mohanganj Police Station on 23 August.
Constructed in 2019 at an expenditure of 39.64 crore taka, the 5.3-kilometre permanent block-armoured embankment serves as the primary defense against early flash floods, safeguarding thousands of hectares of single-crop Boro paddy fields across the low-lying wetland ecosystem. Striping away over 2,000 heavy concrete blocks leaves the underlying earthen core directly exposed to river currents and rapid soil erosion, putting the agricultural economy of the entire region at immediate risk. Community members noted with dismay that this destruction follows an earlier act of sabotage roughly six weeks ago, when unidentified miscreants cut through several sections of the embankment without facing effective law enforcement action.
Eyewitness Bazlu Mia, a resident of Borantor village, reported seeing a group of 27 to 28 individuals from neighbouring Dhorun Baniyahari village physically prying the concrete blocks loose and loading them onto cargo boats on the night of 18 August. When Bazlu attempted to confront the group, they brandished traditional weapons, shouted abuse, and threatened his life. The situation degenerated further the following evening when suspects targeted Bazlu’s fish wholesale depot in a retaliatory attack, leading him to submit a separate written criminal complaint to local police.
Gaglajur Union Acting Chairman Ashraf Chowdhury confirmed the involvement of Dhorun Baniyahari residents, stating that the stolen construction material remains stored at various homesteads across that village. Local political leaders have attempted to mediate the situation alongside law enforcement efforts. Meanwhile, Borantor farmers Tanim Khan Adnan and Bayezid Hossain expressed intense frustration over sluggish administrative intervention. They warned that even modest water surges during the rainy season could now breach the compromised barrier and submerge vast tracts of ripening crops.
Faced with mounting public outcry, local authorities have issued an ultimatum to the perpetrators. Mohanganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge Hafizul Islam Harun and Upazila Nirbahi Officer Amena Khatun confirmed that police personnel inspected the damaged site and tracked down suspects to their homes. Following consultations with community elders, officials granted a two-to-three-day deadline for the individuals to return every stolen block to the embankment site, cautioning that non-compliance will prompt immediate criminal prosecutions and arrests. Executive Engineer of Netrokona WDB, Sakhawat Hossain, stated that the agency is working closely with civil authorities to enforce the directive and restore structural integrity to the embankment.
