BSF obstacle holds back border protection work

SYLHET, Mar 11: Inhabitants of vast areas have been in much trouble due obstacles put by Indian Border Security Force (BSF) in border protection work along the Surma and Kushiyara riverbanks on the Bangladesh side in Zakiganj upazila of Sylhet district.

Flood waters entered through cracks at around 30 points along the Surma and Kushiyara dykes during the devastating floods of 2022 and 2024, sources said.

The Indian River Barak enters Bangladesh territory taking the names Surma and Kushiyara on Amolshid border of Zakiganj.

The flow bifurcates in the names of these rivers and rolls down in a meandering way. About 66 km area of the rivers is known as frontier rivers including 25 km on the Surma and 41 km on the Kushiyara.

But the said area on the border has been lying unprotected as a few obstacles put by the BSF are hindering progress of the repair and protection work initiated by the Water Development Board (WDB) on the riverbanks on the Bangladesh side in recent weeks.

Contacted, Executive Engineer of WDB Dipok Kumar Dass told this correspondent that the region suffered badly due to floods in recent years.

"Especially, we worked hard to protect the border rivers in the last monsoon. Even there developed cracks and erosions occurred at places. Now we face obstacles from the Indian BSF when we go for protection work at the riverbank sides," Mr Dipok said.

"If the situation continues this way, the Sylhet region would again face flooding in the coming season," he said, adding, the Surma and Kushiyara dykes have remained unprotected so far.

In the past, Indians did not put any obstacles in the riverbank protection work, but this time they even do not let do earth work at various points of the two dykes, the official said.

"We had taken up the Tk450 million project for the said border protection work, but can't proceed," he added.

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