Around 60 families have been rendered homeless with the continuous erosion by the Padma River at different points in the Naria upazila of Shariatpur in the last two days.
About 6,000 families of three unions of the upazila have been rendered homeless with the erosion of the riverbank erosion in the last three months, reports UNB.
Several thousand acres of agricultural land too have been consumed by the river.
Locals are expecting some break from the riverbank erosion in the Naria upazila due to rise of water and slow current in the river but they also feared that if the waters started to recede, the erosion may take a serious turn once more.
Sources said erosion took a worse turn in the Mokterer char, Kedarpur, Gharshar union of the Naria upazila, Naria municipality, and the Kunderchar union of the Jajira upazila, rendering 8,000 families homeless.
The affected people shifted their homesteads and business establishments to safer locations.
Several hundred people were searching for shelter and many families are living without a roof over their head for lack of accommodation.
Manir Hossain of the Banshtala village and Shubatra Rani Pal of the Daspara village said: “First we lost our croplands and now the river has started to devour our houses. Although we have removed the valuables and furniture from our homes, could not relocate the houses. We are now sleeping under the open sky."
Naria upazila UNO Sanzida Islam said the local administration is acting on ensuring housing for the affected homeless. She said dry food, tin sheds and rice and money were distributed among them.
