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Last evening, the government opened a control room to monitor the situation in the haor regions.

According to data from the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), Boro paddy accounts for nearly 55 percent of Bangladesh’s yearly rice production.

Around 20 percent of the country’s total rice production comes from the haor region, according to the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute.

For about a decade, excessive rainfall in the pre-monsoon has been recorded in the northeast region of the country and upstream in India.

The rainfall is triggering early flash floods, and the farmers in the haor region are still reeling from the 2017 and 2022 floods that destroyed almost all their Boro harvest.

In Sunamganj, there was a breach yesterday at two farmer-built embankments -- the Ikrachhai dyke in Chandalipara village in Madhyanagor upazila and the Gujaouni embankment at Dekhar Haor in Sadar upazila.

The Water Development Board is on alert to protect all 602 kilometres of newly constructed dykes in the district and has ordered relevant Project Implementation Committees (PIC) to monitor round the clock for any breaches.

“If the dyke construction had been properly completed on time and quality had been ensured, we would be relieved. Now we are in fear and working around the clock to harvest as much paddy as possible,” said Jahid Hasan Arif, a farmer of Korchar Haor in Bishwambarpur upazila in the district.

Jamir Ali, a farmer from Shiyalmara Haor in Sunamganj Sadar upazila, said, “It’s raining continuously, and my paddies are almost underwater now. We are struggling to harvest, as labourers don’t want to pick paddy from water.”

As of yesterday, 65-70 percent of all Boro paddy in the haor districts has been harvested. Now farmers are under pressure to finish before the floods arrive.

Meanwhile, waterlogged fields have rendered combine harvesters useless, and agricultural labourers are nowhere to be found.

“The paddy is ripe, but there are no workers, and machines cannot enter the fields,” said Josef Miah, a farmer from Boali village in Khaliajuri Upazila in Netrokona.

He said, “It costs around Tk 2,000 to harvest paddy from one katha. In this situation, harvesting or not harvesting makes no difference -- either way, I incur losses.”

Even harvested paddy is not safe. Continuous rain has prevented drying, causing grain to sprout in the field or be sold at unfair prices.

Uttam Talukdar, a farmer from Harindhara village in Kolmakanda, said, “I took paddy to the market, but no one is interested in buying wet paddy. I was forced to sell some at Tk 700 per maund just to pay the labourers. After paying them, I was left with nothing.”

The situation is intense for the farmers who cultivated with loans.

Juned Miah, a farmer from Hajipur Union in Kulaura upazila in Moulvibazar, said, “All is lost. I cultivated paddy on loan, spending Tk 27,000 per acre. The paddy was submerged before harvesting.”

Farmer Ramzan Ali of Austagram in Kishoreganj said he had borrowed Tk 1.5 lakh to cultivate Boro this season. “As soon as the paddy started ripening, it was submerged in water. Now both debt repayment and livelihood are uncertain,” he said.

Kabil Miah, also from Austagram, said, “How can I harvest the paddy that is underwater? The paddy is turning black and brown. The golden paddy is being destroyed in front of my eyes.”

Md Jamal Uddin, additional director for monitoring and implementation at the DAE Field Service Wing, said, “All respected departments and officials have been coordinating since April 20 for the prompt harvest of Boro. The chief secretary of the prime minister also ordered the deputy commissioner to take necessary action.”

“We have appointed 11 civil service officials in Sunamganj along with another three for Netrokona, Habiganj and Kishorganj, who will be working to bring in more labourers from different districts and influencing locals to join the harvesting,” he said.

[Our correspondent Dwoha Chowdhury, from Sylhet; Mintu Deshwara, from Moulvibazar; Jaydul Islam, from Netrokona; and Tafsilul Aziz, from Kishoreganj, contributed to this report.]