Life in the shoals of Jamuna river
The river Jamuna flows through the north-west of Bangladesh.
There are many shoals – also known as 'char' – in the river. People living in the shoals enjoy the bounty of the rivers the most; while they are the ones that also suffer the most.
These photos are taken from the Boishakhir Char in Dhunot upazila in Bogura district.
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There is no electric grid connectivity in the char, and no televisions. There are hardly any smartphones, but those are not used for surfing the internet; people play music, video files and waz (Islamic sermon) on them.
Life is hard here.
There is no hospital in the char. Patients must be treated with traditional medicine, or taken to the town.
The only transport to the town is a traditional motor boat. The main land transport is horse carriage.
During the monsoon, the chars are often flooded, and people's lives become harder.
There are government schools in the char, but the teachers do not live there, they live in the towns.
Only the poorest live in the shoals. They live on agriculture and fishing. While they struggle with their life and livelihood, they also supply us with fish and agricultural produce.
Thanks to their hard work, all kinds of vegetables and grains are produced in the chars.
Despite all the hardship and calamities, people living in the chars dream of a better life for their children; they want to provide proper education to them.
The chars often undergo severe erosion, and people have to relocate. But the hope of people living in the chars never dies.
