Azad, Lakshmipur Correspondent: Large char (river-island) regions have formed across vast areas of Lakshmipur along the Meghna River. These fertile chars produce soybeans, rice, maize, green chilies, bitter gourd, tomatoes, and many other cash crops. But the poor and difficult communication system remains the biggest obstacle here. Even after producing crops, farmers are often deprived of fair prices due to transportation problems. The agricultural wealth of these chars could significantly contribute to the national economy, yet the severe lack of road communication has made life unbearably difficult for the char residents of Raipur Upazila.

According to the Lakshmipur Department of Agricultural Extension, the district has about 30,975 hectares of char land. To reach the chars, one must travel 10 kilometers from the town and then cross the Meghna or its tributaries by boat. Many chars still lack proper roads. Transport is limited to motorcycles on sandy or muddy ground, and in some places the roads are broken and nearly unusable.

If someone falls sick suddenly, char residents have no easy way to rush to a hospital. Communication barriers also obstruct smooth transportation of crops to the market. For this reason, locals have urged the government to improve the communication system to ensure fair prices for produce and a better quality of life.

From the Raipur Upazila town, a half-hour vehicle ride leads to a tributary of the Meghna. It takes another 20 minutes by trawler to cross the river. From where the trawler drops passengers, the settlements are still far away across barren sandbars. The only mode of transport is rented motorcycles or walking. After about 20 minutes by motorcycle, one reaches Kachiar Char and Jaliar Char. Nearly 50,000 people live in the villages of North and South Char Bangshi unions.

Huge quantities of soybeans, rice, bitter gourd, tomatoes, chilies, maize, and vegetables grow in these Meghna chars. But poor communication makes life difficult for residents just like other remote char areas.

Taiz Uddin, a farmer from Mazuchowdhury Ghat in Sadar, said, “If the public representatives and authorities would ensure roads, schools, healthcare, and safe drinking water in the chars, the sufferings of char residents would greatly reduce.”

The distance from Mollahat and Hajimara markets to Kachiar Char is about three kilometers. This stretch of road is considered a nightmare by locals. In the rainy season, powerful currents from the Meghna tributary wash away large portions of the mud road. Near Mollahhat market, the road is broken on both sides. No vehicle except motorcycles can pass. In the dry season, people must walk through knee-deep dust. Goods-laden vehicles can cross only after long periods of pushing and maneuvering.

During winter, people are forced to cross broken sections using bamboo or wooden footbridges—or even boats, which are often unavailable. The remaining route toward Mehediganj in Bhola is also severely damaged.

Near Mollahhat market, vegetables and rice from the char were seen being transported on two engine vans, both stuck at the broken portion of the road.

Md. Mahmud Ali Mia, speaking near the damaged road, said, “During the monsoon, our suffering knows no bounds. Without boats, we cannot cross. Sometimes we do not even get a boat. If someone falls sick suddenly, there is no option—death feels inevitable.”

Motorcycle driver Habib Hossain said, “We cannot go beyond the broken part near Mollahhat. The rest of the road is also severely damaged. It has been like this for a long time, and nobody cares.”

Chandu Mia, a resident of Kachiar Char, said, “We grow a lot of rice and soybeans here—also bitter gourd and chilies. Demand for rice and soybeans is high, and we get good prices; sometimes crops are sold right from the fields. But if the road (Mollahhat–Hajimara road) were good, we would get double the price.”

Mohiuddin Molla, president of the Mollahhat Market Business Association in Raipur, said,
“Not only in the rainy season—even in winter our suffering continues. We have to cross the broken road section using a wooden footbridge. Sometimes emergency patients must be carried on shoulders to reach a hospital. After dusk, boats and motorcycles stop operating. In emergencies, people have no options. Poor char residents often get stranded here.”

He added, “Even if motorcycles can come, they must stop at the broken portion. People cross knee-deep mud and then take an auto-rickshaw from the other side. Six months have passed with the road in this condition. Thousands of acres produce rice, soybeans, chilies, bitter gourd, tomatoes, and peanuts. This is a major agricultural area. It costs as much to cross this broken road and reach Mollahhat market as it does to travel to Dhaka. If the road were in good shape, farmers would get much better prices. We request the government to repair this vital road immediately.”

Abu Zafar Mintu Farazi, Chairman of South Char Bangshi Union Parishad, said,
“We are discussing the repair of the Mollahhat–Kachiar Char–Tunur Char road with LGED. But they are not giving it any importance.”

Lakshmipur District Deputy Director of Agriculture, Agronomist Zahir Ahmed, said,
“Even though crops grow well in the Meghna chars, marketing is a big problem due to poor communication. From some chars, it takes two to three hours by boat or large trawler to reach the market, then one must cross broken roads. This is a major barrier to farmers getting fair prices. Government assistance also does not reach many of the extreme chars. Several chars in three unions of Raipur are very remote.”

Newly appointed District Commissioner SM Mehedi Hasan said,
“In the four upazilas of Lakshmipur, communication across the Meghna River’s char areas is a major challenge. Often, during government training programs, staff have to stay overnight on some chars to conduct sessions the next day. Sometimes we have to take senior officials using special boats. The communication system in the chars is extremely poor.”