Repairing Dam Themselves: Locals sling mud at MP, chase him away

Waterlogging, erosion and inundation caused by absence of sustainable embankments have made their lives miserable over the years.

Whenever any cyclone, storm or flood hit Khulna's Koyra upazila, the existing fragile dams got breached, resulting in inundation of the entire area.

Few days later, the authorities concerned repair the dam shakily. If any disaster occurs later, the dams get breached again.

The situation remained unchanged for years even after the affected locals raised their voices every time.

Accumulated public anger stoked up by inaction of local peoples' representatives and other authorities concerned got outburst yesterday when local lawmaker faced huge outrage by aggrieved people.

The coastal upazila Koyra is the worst victim of natural calamities like Aila, Sidr, Amphan and finally the recent one -- Yaas.

Every time, hundreds of houses, fish enclosures, vast area of farmland, roads and other structures get damaged as the entire region becomes submerged.

In the recent cyclone Yaas, around 38 villages of Koyra went under water after the flood protection dam was breached in at least 21 points.

As several thousand people became homeless, they joined hands together and have been repairing the dams on their own for the last few days.

Amid such a situation, local lawmaker Mohammad Akhteruzzaman, who was elected from Khulna-6 constitution under the banner of the ruling Awami League, went to visit Dashalia area of Maharajpur union in the upazila around 11:30am.

At that time, locals were working hard to repair the dams. When the trawler, which was carrying the lawmaker, reached nearer the shore, the aggrieved people started shouting and throwing mud towards the lawmaker.

Some associates, who were accompanying the lawmaker, urged the people repeatedly through loud speaker to calm down.

But the public outrage could not be doused and they kept throwing muds towards the lawmaker, said multiple witnesses.

Such situation continued for around 15 minutes. At one stage, the lawmaker had to step back and leave the scene through the trawler.

Around half an hour later, the agitating people could calm down. Then, Akhteruzzaman came back the spot again.

He addressed the aggrieved people through loud speaker and admitted his failure to construct a sustainable dam in the area.

Then, the lawmaker joined hands with the people to repair the dam, said locals.

But many of the people were dissatisfied with such activities of the lawmaker and they left the scene.

Locals alleged that Akhteruzzaman, his family members, and relatives control the tender works for repairing the dams. But their works are substandard.

That is why, the dams remain fragile and got breached whenever storms or cyclones hit the area.

Talking to The Daily Star, Koyra upazila parishad chairman SM Shafiqul Islam, among others, was present at the scene, confirmed the incident and added that the incident had delayed the repair works.

The Daily Star has a video and some photos of the indent.

Contacted, Akhteruzzaman said, "It is natural that anger may prevail among people. They are starving. Their houses have gone under water. If people are in trouble, they may express anger.

"I have made them understand that no development work could be implemented in last one year due to Coronavirus pandemic. These workers are done through tender process. The ongoing sufferings would be removed, if the project is approved."

He also claimed that it was not true that he fled the scene. Rather, he joined with the locals in the repair works.

[Our Khulna correspondent contributed to this report]