KHULNA, Bangladesh, June 14, 2026 (The Voice News) — A major river restoration project in southwestern Bangladesh has left dozens of homes built for landless and homeless families damaged or at risk of collapse after large quantities of dredged soil were deposited around government housing settlements.
The affected settlements are located in Chuknagar, Kathaltala and Khornia in Khulna’s Dumuria Upazila, where more than 100 landless and homeless families were resettled between 2021 and 2022 under the Ashrayan Project, a nationwide housing programme launched during the administration of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The initiative was designed to provide permanent homes, land ownership and basic services to vulnerable households across Bangladesh.
Residents of three Ashrayan housing projects say soil excavated from the nearby Bhadra River has been piled next to their homes, causing structural damage and raising fears that some houses could collapse during the upcoming monsoon season.
Several residents reported that walls and windows have cracked under the pressure of the soil, while deep excavation near the riverbank has increased the risk of erosion. Others said their homes could be swept away by heavy rainfall or tidal surges.
“We have nowhere else to go,” said Abdul Jalil, a day labourer living in the Khornia Ashrayan Project. “The excavation has reached the foundations of our homes. A little rain could cause them to slide into the river.”
Residents say the dredging operation has also damaged critical infrastructure. Two of three community tube wells in Kathaltala have reportedly become unusable, while several toilets were demolished during excavation work. Some families have moved household belongings outside as a precaution against possible collapse.
“We are living in constant fear,” said resident Rowshan Ara Begum. “If the river rises, our homes could disappear.”
The dredging project forms part of a broader government effort to address chronic waterlogging in the Bhobadah region of Khulna and Jashore. The programme involves the re-excavation of five rivers — the Harihar, Hari-Teligati, Upper Bhadra, Teka and Shree — covering a combined 81.5 kilometres.
The project is being implemented by the Bangladesh Army’s 24 Engineer Construction Brigade under a memorandum of understanding signed with the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) in September 2025. Officials estimate the project’s cost at approximately Tk 14 billion.
Authorities say the initiative is intended to improve drainage, enhance flood management and support environmental restoration efforts. However, affected residents argue that insufficient planning has created new risks for some of the country’s most vulnerable communities.
Dumuria Upazila Nirbahi Officer Sabita Sarkar confirmed that dredged soil had affected housing units in Khornia and Kathaltala.
“The matter has been discussed with the executive engineer of the Water Development Board in Jashore, and the authorities are aware of the situation,” Sarkar said. “We expect measures to be taken soon to address the problems faced by these families.”
The issue has also been formally reported to the district administration.
With the monsoon season approaching, residents are urging authorities to take immediate action to protect homes, restore damaged infrastructure and prevent further displacement of families who believed they had finally secured a permanent place to live.
