The village is just across the river Padma, one kiometre of journey on boat from Rajshahi city. Though the entire city of Rajshahi is throbbing with the panic of Coronavirus pandemic, the people of the village are completely free from the infection.
When the river is full of water, people of the village used to earn their living by fishing and during the dry season, they spent their time by cultivating various crops in the charland and rearing cattleheads and goats.
Such was the way the people of Charkhidirpur village under Paba upazila of Rajshahi were spending their simple life with happiness and joy. But, the devastating erosion of the river has now forcing some 150 families of the village to search for new-land to rebuild their nests again.
Now it is a matter of time that this frontier village with India is going to be wiped out from the map of Bangladesh. With the release of millions of cusec of water through all open gates of the Farakka Barrage in India, the turbulent wave is devastating the village by devouring its houses, schools, mosque and trees for the last three days. People of the villages are now frantically dismantling their houses and desperately searching for a new shelter elsewhere in the district.
Three sides of the village is surrounded by India while the river Padma flows through the other side. There were two more established villages named Khanpur and Taranagar adjacent to Char Khidirpur but those villages have also been devoured by the devastating current of water years ago.
Now, a spec of green line is seen near the Indian frontier at Paschimpara of Khidirpur village. It was once ward-6 of Harian union under Paba upazila. More than 600 families used to live in those two villages.
Still two primary schools, one of those close to Indian frontier, are visible in Char Khidirpur village. The BGB camp is adjacent to the school.
There are 50 students at the mosque-cum-madrasah of the village. The bricks of the mosque and the madrasah are now being removed. Two primary schools of the village would also be shifted to another place within a day or two.
By watching the dismantling of the houses, household items and cutting of trees, it appears at the first sight that people are engaged in the festival of dismantling their houses.
Mursheda Begum (40) wife of Barjahan of the village said, “We have been living in the village from my early childhood. Now, we have dismantled our house and are searching for a piece of land to rebuild the house but there is no place to go.”
Another housewife Sagora Begum (50) said she awakened early in the morning and searching for a piece of land to resettle with their house and household items but there is no safe place to settle in. She added, there is land adjacent to the frontier but the BSF will not allow them to make houses there. She does not know what to do now.
Ramena Begum (61) wife of Nurul Huda of the village said, she had made her home in this char village years ago but the intense river erosion for the last three-day was forcing them to leave the place with their house and properties.
Widowed Subeda (55) with her four daughters was lamenting by sitting on her dismantled house. Having no regular income source, he used to live by working to other people's houses of the village. But, now the village is gone, they have been plunged into deep misery.
She does not know where to go with her daughters and the dismantled house. She was appealing to the government to provide her and her daughters anywhere. All the people of the village are in deep contemplation, with silence they were sitting over their dismantled houses and household items, waiting to be rescued by the government or some ones and to help them resettle anywhere. All of them uttered the same words, “We have no land to build houses on the mainland and we don't know where to go and get resettled.”
Some 11 year-ago, people of the village had constructed a brick built Mosque-cum Madrasah in the village. Fifty students still study in the madrasah. Now the bricks of the establishment are being dismantled.
Majedur Rahman, Member of the Madrasah Management Committee said, there is no place in the village now to rebuild the madrasah. He added, the bricks and other materials to make the madrasah were carried through boats from the city. Now, after dismantling, the bricks and other materials are being stored in a place and decision will be taken soon to replace those somewhere.
Union Parishad member Ershadul Haque said, the village is still Corona free though the frontier Indian villages are affected by the coronavirus pandemic. “We are unfortunate that we failed to save this solvent, panoramic village from river erosion. We are in extremely pain for the failure to save this village.”
Chairman Mofidul Islam of Harian union informed, a new charland has appeared on the river Padma where 'cluster village' was established 20 years ago. If the government agrees, these river erosion hit families of Char Khidirpur village may be settled there.
He also gave assurance to render financial assistance to the affected villagers from his fund as much as possible. He urged all well off people and the government to come forward to assist these helpless people.
