A border outpost of the Border Guard Bangladesh at Udaynagar under Daulatpur upazila in Kushtia has been severely damaged by the ongoing erosion of the Padma.
According to the BGB, nearly two-thirds of the Udaynagar border outpost collapsed into the river Wednesday night.
The commander of the 47th BGB Battalion in Kushtia, lieutenant colonel Mahbub Murshed Rahman, said on Thursday that they identified the risk of erosion earlier and relocated all BGB personnel and essential equipment to the nearby Char Chilmari border outpost.
No casualties or material losses have so far been reported.
Patrolling and surveillance along the affected border area are now being managed by the Char Chilmari outpost to maintain security, Mahbub said.
Bangladesh Water Development Board officials said that they, during observations three months ago, anticipated erosion in at least 17 locations along the Padma-Garai river system.
Erosion has intensified across several of these vulnerable points, including Udaynagar, due to recent decrease in water levels following seasonal flooding, they said.
Attempts to prevent riverbank collapse using geobags were ultimately unsuccessful due to the force and speed of the erosion.
BWDB executive engineer Rashidur Rahman, who visited the site Thursday morning, acknowledged the situation, stating, 鈥楾he erosion is worsening as water levels drop. Despite efforts, it was not possible to save the border outpost.
BGB officials said that the Udaynagar outpost typically housed 22 to 25 BGB personnel.
They feared that the remaining structures of the outpost might collapse within days.
