The people of Ulania in Mehendiganj upazila under the district have demanded extension of the existing embankment by one kilometre to make it sustainable for saving the historic places from erosion by the Meghna River.

In 2013, the Water Development Board constructed an 875-metre-long embankment at a cost of Tk 22 crore to save the historic places of Ulania including the zamindar bari ((landlord's house), mosque, and Coronation High School, Mansur Ahamed, a senior citizen of the area, told this correspondent during the latter's visit a couple of days ago.

The initiative came as a relief to the locals as the Meghna had eroded more than two kilometres area during the last one decade, said Fakhrul Islam Anu, a descendent of the Ulania zamindar family.

“Mughal rulers sent Hanif Khan, a commander of their armed forces, to the area to repel the attack of pirates from Arakan. He became a permanent resident of Ulania, and his ancestors became wealthy

zamindars," said poet Asad Chowdhury, who hails from the area.

"They set up a bazaar and constructed many buildings including a fort named Sangram Kella in the area. A beautiful mosque built in 1861 and Coronation High School set up in 1912 are also their achievements," he said.

The newly constructed

embankment has prevented the river erosion, but local people want its extension by one kilometre to make the embankment sustainable, Language Movement vet-eran Abdul Gaffar Chowdhury said during his recent visit to the area.

Zahiruddin Ahmed, executive engineer ofWDB in Barisal, admitted that construction of additional

one kilometre embankment is needed to make the already built 875-metre-long embankment sustainable for prevention of river erosion in the long run.

A proposal for extension of the embankment has already been sent to Dhaka for consideration and approval by the higher authorities, he said.