For years, a group of influential individuals, in collusion with the local administration, have siphoned off crores of takas by illegally extracting sand from the Chhota Feni River.

This rampant activity has caused severe erosion, leading to the collapse of critical infrastructure, including the Tk 69 crore Musapur closure and its 23-vent regulator.

Hundreds of homes have been swallowed by the river, and now the region faces the prospect of losing its agricultural productivity. The economic loss is estimated at Tk 1,700 crore, with the livelihoods of thousands hanging in the balance.

In addition, the small bridge at Chotadhali on Zorarganj road, built at a cost of Tk 74 crore, has collapsed. As a result, the Noakhali-Feni-Chittagong Zorarganj road is now closed, causing severe disruptions for people in the Noakhali, Feni, and Cumilla regions. The situation has placed 30,000 hectares of cultivated land at risk, with projected regional losses amounting to Tk 1,700 crore.

On September 4, the devastating effects of erosion along the Chhota Feni River were on full display. Cries of despair echoed from the local people as vast stretches of roads, homes, and marketplaces vanished into the river. The collapse of the Chhotadhli Bridge, which was constructed in 2018 on the Sonapur-Zorarganj road to connect Companiganj Upazila in Noakhali with Sonagazi in Feni, has also contributed to the chaos.

The bridge`s foundation eroded due to excessive sand extraction, and traffic has been completely halted. Locals are desperately filling geo-bags with sand in an attempt to protect the bridge, but their efforts are proving futile. The state-built bridge now stands as a symbol of a crumbling infrastructure, deeply scarred by neglect.

Further downstream, the Musapur closure and its 23-vent regulator, designed to prevent seawater intrusion and safeguard local agriculture, have also been submerged by the river. Nearby areas, including homes, have been swallowed by the floodwaters.

Extensive river erosion has ravaged three unions in Companiganj Upazila and three more in Sonagazi Upazila, displacing about 10,000 families. Many people are dismantling their homes to save whatever materials they can before their properties are washed away, leaving doors and windows removed in a last-ditch effort to salvage their belongings.

Locals report that the Musapur closure and its regulators were built in 2005 to protect against the intrusion of saltwater during tidal surges and to store freshwater for agricultural use during the dry season. However, years of unchecked sand extraction have caused the foundation to erode, rendering the structure ineffective. The state’s investment has been wasted, lost to the greed of those responsible for illegal sand mining.

The collapse of the Musapur regulator can be attributed to the actions of political figures who have been illegally extracting sand near the regulator for nearly 15 years, trading sand worth hundreds of crores of takas. This relentless activity weakened the foundation of the regulator, ultimately leading to its catastrophic failure.

Investigations revealed that sand extraction occurred in two key areas of the Chhota Feni River within Companiganj, exacerbating the crisis.

The illegal sand trade has flourished under the protection of local political figures, turning the area into a hotbed of corruption and environmental degradation.

After collapsing Muspur regulator locals were seen removing doors and windows from their homes to salvage whatever they can before the river claims everything. Approximately 10,000 families are now living in uncertainty as their homes crumble due to the river’s relentless advance. The Musapur closure, designed to protect agricultural land, has instead been swallowed by the river, leaving vast tracts of land vulnerable to seawater intrusion.

The political power play behind sand extraction

Investigations reveal that the sand extraction is orchestrated by two powerful political groups. One faction, led by Shahadat Hossain, brother of Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader, and Musapur union council member Ahsan Ullah Bhutto, controlled sand extraction in the Chhotadhali area. Their sand was sold as far as in Cumilla. Meanwhile, Jalal Uddin managed sand lifting in Musapur, with backing from Ayub Ali, President of Musapur Union Awami League, and Abdul Quader Mirza, another brother of Obaidul Quader.

The Feni side of the river also fell prey to political opportunists. Nizam Uddin Hazari, a former MP, and local union chairmen facilitated sand extraction on the Sonagazi side. Together, they operated with impunity, backed by local authorities who either turned a blind eye or accepted bribes. A former UP Chairman even alleged that the Deputy Commissioner received Tk 15 lakh per visit to keep operations running smoothly, totaling Tk 60 lakh across four visits.

Environmental and economic devastation

Agricultural expert Pushpendu Barua, who once envisioned the Musapur closure as a lifeline for local farming, expressed his dismay. He pointed out that the regulator was designed to serve six upazilas in Cumilla, four in Feni, and Companiganj in Noakhali, impacting a combined 1.3 lakh hectares of land. With the regulator now broken, an agricultural disaster looms.

Without the regulator, seawater will invade farmlands during high tides, destroying crops and making Boro rice cultivation impossible. This will cause a loss of Tk 1,700 crore in agricultural productivity. Additionally, river erosion has already claimed significant portions of land, displacing thousands of residents and threatening the long-term sustainability of the region.

Pushpendu said, "One of the main reasons for the collapse of the Musapur regulator is the illegal sand extraction carried out by political miscreants for the past 15 years. These individuals have removed sand within 50 to 100 meters of the regulator, trading it for hundreds of crores of takas. This relentless activity has weakened the foundation, leading to its eventual collapse. The most unfortunate aspect is that these political criminals managed to continue their operations by manipulating both political and administrative figures at the district and upazila levels. Recently, a five-cusec solar irrigation pump installed by BADC was destroyed in Musapur as a direct result of their actions.

"Additionally, the nearby Chhota Feni River spans 1,100 metres in width, but the Musapur regulator had only 23 vents, covering just 90 metres. Due to global warming, we are witnessing increased environmental instability. Hotter summers and more intense monsoons have led to heavier rainfall, which causes extreme water pressure as 1,100 meters of river flow passes through the 90-meter-wide regulator. This discrepancy in size, combined with increased water pressure, also contributed to the collapse. This factor must be considered when rebuilding the regulator in the future," he said.

Damage from the regulator collapse

The consequences of the regulator`s failure are both direct and indirect:

Increased River Erosion: River erosion in Musapur Union, Charhajari Union, Charparbati Union, and Chardarbesh Union of Sonagazi Upazila, as well as Companiganj Upazila in Noakhali, will worsen. This erosion has already begun.

Loss of homes and farmland: People will become displaced, and farmland will disappear as it is engulfed by the river.

Agricultural devastation: Without the regulator, upstream water pressure will drop, particularly from late October onwards, allowing seawater to flood in. This influx of saltwater will be catastrophic for agriculture in the region, destroying crops and farmland.

Marine Cyclones: In September and October, marine cyclones frequently strike the area. If a cyclone produces tidal surges of 12 to 15 feet, saltwater from the sea could flood the region, extending from Companiganj and Feni to Cumilla.

Loss of Boro paddy cultivation: The regulator previously enabled the cultivation of boro paddy across approximately 130,000 hectares of land in 10 upazilas within three districts. Due to the lack of freshwater storage, it will be impossible to cultivate boro paddy this year, resulting in an estimated loss of Tk 17 billion to the state.

Pushpendu emphasised the urgent need to rebuild the regulator swiftly, not only to protect the livelihoods of the people in these 10 upazilas but also for the overall ecological security of the region and its agricultural stability.

The administration’s response

Despite widespread allegations, Noakhali deputy commissioner Dewan Mahbubur Rahman denied any personal involvement in the illegal sand extraction and dismissed claims of corruption.

He attributed the collapse of the Musapur closure to excessive water pressure, though experts argue that unchecked sand extraction significantly weakened its foundation.

The local administration has promised to reconstruct the damaged infrastructure, but the ongoing environmental and economic crisis shows no signs of abating.

The Musapur regulator was originally built in 2005 at a cost of Tk 19.44 crore, while the Chhotadhali Bridge was constructed in 2018 for Tk 74 crore. However, both projects now stand as stark reminders of how unchecked greed and corruption can devastate entire regions, leaving thousands homeless and livelihoods shattered.