Road construction through haor: A threat to farmers and agricultural land

Road Construction in Haor Threatens Farmers and Agricultural Land

The haor is currently flourishing with Boro paddy, cultivated through the hard work of farmers who plan to store their harvest in granaries during Baishakh.

However, at this critical agricultural season, a road construction project is underway, cutting through the heart of the haor. In the 4 km stretch through Shanghai Haor of Shantiganj upazila, Sunamganj, farmers have not been informed about the potential crop losses, let alone compensated for their land.

Farmers and environmentalists have raised concerns that this road project will not only disrupt the natural ecosystem but also destroy vast tracts of cultivable land. During the monsoon, the road will obstruct natural water flow, leading to waterlogging in upstream areas. Despite these foreseeable consequences, the construction is progressing under the authorities' watch.

According to upazila administration sources, this project is part of a special initiative under the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, with an estimated cost of 40 million taka, funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The contracting firm JB Innovation, based in Dhaka, is executing the project. Work began last year but was halted due to rising water levels, resuming again this year with heavy machinery digging through fertile farmland.

The road will stretch from Dungriya village on the eastern bank, cutting through the haor, to Hasnabad village on the western bank. This initiative was originally taken by former planning minister MA Mannan, whose native village is Dungriya. The affected haor lands belong to farmers from Dungriya, Hasnabad, and Jamlabaz villages, while farmlands in Ujangaon, Mirzapur, and Fatehpur are also at risk.

As excavation progresses, seedlings in these fields are being destroyed. Soil is being removed from farmland and heaped onto the same land to elevate the road. The excavation on both sides has created canal-like structures, wiping out approximately 100 feet of cultivable land in width.

Local farmers initially protested against the project when construction began last year, but members of the local Awami League intervened, taking them to MA Mannan’s residence. At the time, he instructed the contractor’s representatives to compensate farmers for their crop losses. While the Awami League is no longer in power, other groups have now stepped in to support the project.

Tarif Miah, a 70-year-old farmer who owns four acres of land in Shanghai Haor, has already lost over one acre due to road construction and excavation. Frustrated, he said, “No one consulted us before starting the road, and even now, we are not being informed. Our land and crops are being destroyed.”

Another farmer, Selim Miah, 55, added, “We depend entirely on this haor land for our livelihood. Not only is our land being taken for the road, but additional land is being ruined due to soil excavation.”

Ashraf Uddin, overseeing excavation work, mentioned that he and three others are carrying out operations under the contractor’s supervision. He also claimed that a list has been prepared for compensating farmers for their crop losses.

Engineer Murad Ahmed, representing the contracting firm, dismissed concerns about land acquisition, stating, “Mannan sir has already spoken to the farmers and arranged everything.”

Shantiganj upazila Project Implementation Officer (PIO), Jahangir Alam, clarified that no allocation has been made for land acquisition or compensation under this project. Meanwhile, Shantiganj Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), Sukanta Saha, assured that JICA must have conducted a study before approving the project. He added that any complaints raised would be forwarded to higher authorities and confirmed that he had personally inspected the construction site.

Bijoy Sen Roy, General Secretary of the central committee of the Haor Bachao Andolon, warned that a similar road project in Kishoreganj’s haor faced nationwide criticism. He emphasized that if a road is built through Sunamganj’s haor, it will severely impact biodiversity, agriculture, and local livelihoods.

Sunamganj Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Ilias Miah stated that he has requested detailed information on the matter and stressed that no project should proceed at the cost of harming the haor’s natural ecosystem or farmers’ livelihoods.

Former Planning Minister MA Mannan, when contacted, recalled that he had arranged compensation for farmers when the project began last year. However, he distanced himself from the current construction, stating, “I am not involved this time. I do not know how things are proceeding now, and no one has informed me.”