Two farmers die after witnessing submerged paddy fields in Brahmanbaria, Kishoreganj

Two farmers collapsed and died on the spot after witnessing their ripe paddy fields go under floodwaters in separate incidents in Brahmanbaria and Kishoreganj yesterday.

In Brahmanbaria, 55-year-old Ahad Mia collapsed after seeing his ready-to-harvest paddy was submerged in Nasirnagar upazila yesterday morning.

Upazila Agriculture Officer Imran Shakil confirmed the death, saying around 1,500 bighas of land in the upazila had already been submerged in the past two days.

Quoting witnesses and family members, the agriculture officer said Ahad was devastated upon seeing his fully grown BRRI-29 crop submerged. He lost consciousness on the spot and died shortly afterwards.

Doctors suspect he may have suffered a heart attack, he added.

Ahad had reportedly taken loans of about Tk 50,000 to cultivate the land and was the sole earner for his family, which includes two sons and a daughter.

Several other farmers in the area have fallen ill after witnessing similar losses, with at least three currently undergoing treatment, the agriculture officer said.

Nasirnagar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Shahina Nasrin said a list of affected farmers would be prepared and necessary government assistance provided.

In Kishoreganj, 60-year-old farmer Akhter Hossain died after falling ill upon seeing his submerged paddy field in Austagram haor.

Confirming the death, Nasima Akhter, a reserved member of Deoghar Union Parishad, said he had fallen sick after witnessing the damage to his crop around 4:30pm and was later taken to a hospital. Doctors declared him dead in the evening.

Family members said he had cultivated Boro paddy on three acres of land, much of which was inundated due to continuous rainfall. Although some paddy had been harvested, he could not transport it home due to logistical constraints.

His cousin Mansur Ali said Akhter had taken loans of about Tk 150,000 for cultivation and was under severe mental distress after the crop was damaged.

According to the Department of Agricultural Extension, vast low-lying haor areas in Kishoreganj have been flooded due to continuous rainfall, submerging thousands of hectares of ripe paddy and leaving farmers struggling to salvage their harvest.