Char Montola, a village situated within Chilmari union in Kurigram’s Chilmari upazila, has vanished in a span of two years due to relentless river erosion by the Brahmaputra. The once thriving community, consisting of 350 families, has been engulfed by the powerful river, leaving behind a landscape now submerged in water and the constant lapping of waves.
In the wake of the devastation, some families impacted by the erosion have sought refuge in a newly formed sandbar known as “Manushmara Char” on the Brahmaputra riverbed, while others have relocated to the homes of relatives or different char areas. Char Montola, which used to be a self-sufficient agricultural village where every household owned land, has now been wiped off the map.
An elderly resident, Sahidar Rahman, aged 85, reminisced about the village’s history, mentioning how it emerged from the Brahmaputra around 45 years ago. Families settled there, cultivating between 6 to 10 bighas of land each and sustaining themselves through farming. However, the erosion began two years ago, culminating in the loss of the remaining families’ homes to the river on November 10. Now, only memories linger beneath the water’s surface.
Abdus Samad, aged 60, who lost everything to the erosion, shared his story of rebuilding a modest home in Manushmara Char after his family’s property in Char Montola was swallowed by the river. The transition has been challenging, with limited opportunities for work and cultivation on the new land, leaving uncertainty about when normalcy will return.
Reflecting on the communal bond that once defined Char Montola, Rahima Bewa expressed the profound loss felt by residents, emphasizing that the village was more than just a location—it was their way of life. In the new settlement, daily struggles for sustenance prevail, highlighting the hardships faced by those displaced by the erosion.
Former residents like Emdadul Haque revisit the now submerged remnants of Char Montola, mourning the transformation of the once verdant landscape into a watery expanse. Sonju Mia, a member of the Chilmari Union Parishad, recounted the personal toll of losing his homestead and cropland to the river, underscoring the irreplaceable heritage that Char Montola represented.
With Char Montola’s disappearance, Aminul Islam, the Union Parishad Chairman, lamented the loss of vital community assets, including agricultural lands, educational institutions, and religious sites, all swallowed by the relentless river. Despite the physical disappearance of villages like Char Montola, Prof Shafiqul Islam Bebu emphasized that their legacy endures in the hearts of the people.
Advocating for governmental intervention, Prof Bebu called for the establishment of a dedicated ministry to address the needs of char regions and alleviate the perpetual suffering of their inhabitants. Rakibul Hasan, the executive engineer of Kurigram Water Development Board, acknowledged the challenges in protecting charlands from erosion, citing temporary measures like sand-filled geo-bags that, despite efforts, could not prevent the loss of Char Montola.