District Correspondent, Sylhet: The golden glow of ripened paddy is now spread across the Haors of Sunamganj. During the Boro season, fields are brimming with ripe crops, swaying in the breeze, carrying the dreams of farmers. This season, the cultivation target for 137 small and large Haors across the 12 upazilas of the district was set at 223,410 hectares. In reality, cultivation exceeded this target, reaching 223,502 hectares. The production target has been set at approximately 1,396,080 metric tons, with an estimated market value of Tk. 5,280 crore.
The statistics narrate a story of success. However, the heroes behind this success, the sharecroppers from floating villages, still remain untouched by the golden glow of prosperity.
Several hundred families reside in these small, floating settlements in the heart of the Haors for six to eight months each year. They are sharecroppers—landless farmers who survive by cultivating crops on land owned by others. Despite their tireless efforts, from timely sowing of seeds to toiling day and night in waist-deep water, they return home empty-handed at the end of the season.
In nearly every major Haor in Sunamganj, there are such floating villages. One such village is “Kalabari.” Nestled in the middle of the Haor like a picture, each house in this village tells a story of farmers’ joy and despair.
Dilip Das, a resident of Kalabari, said, “We live and work in the Haor day after day, but the harvest goes to the landowners and lenders. What we get is barely enough to sustain our families. The land turns golden with our sweat, but we cannot hold that gold in our hands.”
The village is home to 15 families—12 Hindu and 3 Muslim. Here, there is no divide of religion, only a shared struggle for survival. There is no electricity, no access to safe drinking water. On stormy nights, they sleep in trembling straw huts, and by day, they labor in the Haor—this is their life.
Seema Rani Das said, “We women cook and dry the paddy, while the men break their backs working in the Haor. At the end of the year, when we calculate, we are left with nothing.”
Another resident, Dipendra Das, said, “Even when the paddy is harvested, tears fill our eyes. The price of paddy increases in the market, but we see no profit. Instead, we return home burdened by debt.”
These sharecroppers sow seeds, plant paddy, and protect their crops from storms and floods. Yet, at the end of the season, their homes are not filled with joy but with debt, despair, and uncertainty.
No matter how much hope the Haor’s harvest brings, that light has yet to reach the sharecroppers of these floating villages. Their sweat waters the paddy fields, but the harvest fills the granaries of others.
Acting Deputy Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension, Mostafa Iqbal Azad, said, “Sharecroppers have limited opportunities to sell their crops directly. We are working to ensure they can benefit. We provide them with seeds and fertilizer support. However, due to structural challenges, they cannot reap the full benefits. Additionally, we are conducting various training programs to improve their lives and mindset.”
