A massive riverbank protection project along the River Meghna is bringing renewed hope to the erosion-prone upazilas of Ramgati and Kamalnagar in Lakshmipur, where thousands of families have endured decades of devastating river erosion.

Implemented at a cost of around Tk3,000 crore, the Meghna River Bank Protection Project has completed nearly 70% of its work over the past five years, according to the Bangladesh Water Development Board (WDB). Officials believe the project will significantly reduce river erosion, protect lives and property, and create new opportunities for economic development in the coastal region.

A recent visit to different project sites found construction progressing rapidly. Workers and heavy machinery are engaged in placing concrete blocks, dumping geobags, building embankments, strengthening riverbanks and constructing other protective structures. Officials said work is continuing around the clock to meet the project’s deadline.

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) approved the project on 1 June 2021 for constructing a 31-kilometre river protection embankment along the Meghna in Ramgati and Kamalnagar. The project, estimated to cost Tk3,000.89 crore, is scheduled for completion by 31 December 2026.

The embankment work has been divided into 97 construction packages, alongside two additional packages involving the construction of 20 regulators and a tree plantation programme. Officials said about 70% of the overall work has already been completed.

Before the current project, the government earlier implemented another river protection scheme in 2014 with an allocation of Tk198 crore to safeguard Alexander Bazar and the Ramgati Upazila Health Complex from continuous erosion.

Under that initiative, the Bangladesh Army built around three kilometres of protective structures near Alexander Bazar, while Western Engineering Company, under the supervision of the Bangladesh Navy, constructed another one-kilometre embankment in the Matabbarhat area of Kamalnagar.

However, according to local residents, nearly 248 square kilometres of land in Ramgati and Kamalnagar have disappeared into the Meghna over the past three decades. River erosion has displaced almost one lakh families, destroying homes, cropland, roads, educational institutions and other infrastructure.

Many residents said the ongoing project represents more than an infrastructure initiative; it is a safeguard for their livelihoods and future. Local farmers and businesspeople believe effective erosion control will encourage investment, improve agriculture and fisheries, strengthen transport connectivity and stimulate the local economy. They also expect improvements in education, healthcare and other social services once the threat of river erosion is reduced.

Project officials said quality control measures are being maintained through regular monitoring, and they remain optimistic about completing the remaining work within the stipulated timeframe, provided weather conditions remain favourable.

Lakshmipur BWDB Executive Engineer Nahid Uz-Zaman Khan said a large portion of the project work is now visible on the ground, while the remaining work is progressing steadily. “We are working to complete the Meghna riverbank protection embankment as quickly as possible. If everything goes according to plan, we hope to hand over this long-awaited embankment to the people within the scheduled timeframe,” he said.

Meanwhile, ABM Ashraf Uddin (Nizan), lawmaker from Lakshmipur-4 (Ramgati-Kamalnagar) constituency, said the government is implementing several development projects to transform the long-neglected coastal region.

He said efforts are underway to develop Ramgati and Kamalnagar into a tourism-oriented area, alongside solving the long-standing problem of river erosion.

If completed as planned, the project is expected to provide lasting protection to around 750,000 people and open new prospects for industry, business and tourism across the coastal belt, he added.