About 70 per cent of the dam has been completed. Out of planned 1700 feet, they have completed 1400 feet of the dam since the work began on February 13. But all their efforts will go in vain if the dam is washed away or damaged now.

"We need immediate government help to complete the work" said Sahhidul Islam, coordinator of the programme while talking to this correspondent on Thursday.

"As people have exhausted their limited resources the government should come forward to prop up their efforts and enthusiasm and complete the work to save the upazila headquarter", he said.

"Otherwise, their hard labour will go in vain".

All classes of people in the area joined the work by either volunteering their labour or contributing in cash or kind as per their ability, he said.

The local people had appealed to the government several times and also staged demonstrations to protect the upazila headquarter from erosion, but to no effect. The Water Development Board had prepared a Tk 23 crore project to control erosion along the western bank of the Jamuna in Fulchari, which was approved in the ECNCE. But WDB could not start the work as funds were not allocated.

Failing to get any government response, the local people decided to construct the dam themselves.

The dam will connect the western bank of the river with a newly formed shoal on the river and thus save the upazila headquarter from further erosion.

Local people irrespective of political leaders and activists, students, professionals and officials joined the work.

"We have done a work which would have cost the government at least Tk 10 lakh. Now the government should assist us to complete it", Islam said.