At the southernmost edge of Bhola District, where the restless Meghna meets the Bay of Bengal, lies Dhalchar Union of Char Fasson Upazila. Nearly 12,000 people live here, surrounded by water and uncertainty. For decades, they have waited for one thing that could change their fate: an embankment.
People began settling in Dhalchar nearly a century ago, even before the devastating 1970 cyclone. The union was officially formed in 2010. Yet, residents say little development has reached this remote coastal stretch.
There is still no protective embankment.
A life shaped by tides
During storms and high tides, vast areas of Dhalchar go underwater. Homes are flooded. Cattle are swept away. Families climb onto beds and raised platforms, waiting for the water to recede.
Angura Begum, a homemaker from the Tarua area, recalls how tidal surges entered her house last year. “We sat on the bed with our children while the water filled the room. Three goats and some chickens were washed away,” she said.
For Md Hossain of Anand Bazar, the hardship is longstanding. “People have been living here since before the 1970 tidal surges. Now about 12,000 people live in nine wards. But we still have no embankment.”
Residents say every rainy season brings fresh anxiety. Md Al Amin from Majher Char Bazar fears the coming monsoon. “In a few days, the rains will begin. Again, we will suffer in tidal water. If there were an embankment, we would not face this fate.”
Farming fades, losses grow
Agriculture, once the backbone of the local economy, is declining. Salty tidal water frequently enters cropland, damaging fields and discouraging cultivation.
Md Morshed, a local farmer, said many have stopped farming altogether after repeated losses. “Tidal water destroys the crops. For the past few years, farmers have given up. Now, most land in the union is uncultivated.”
Md Shahe Alam Farazi, a trader at Majher Char Bazar, described Dhalchar as the last settlement of the district. “There is no other habitation after this. We are surrounded by the river and the sea. Every year, storms and floods hit us. Many people and cattle have been lost over time.”
He added that successive governments had promised embankments, but none materialised. “We are appealing to the current Prime Minister to take steps for Dhalchar.”
Official response
Md Asfauddaula, Executive Engineer of the Bangladesh Water Development Board (Bhola-2), acknowledged the vulnerability of the area.
“Dhalchar is in the southernmost part of Bhola. Erosion intensifies during the rainy season. A CC block embankment is necessary,” he said. However, he noted that there is currently no approved project for Dhalchar, though efforts will be made to include it in a future plan.
Until then, life in Dhalchar remains a constant struggle against nature. Each rising tide is a reminder that for thousands of families here, survival depends not on comfort or progress, but on resilience.