Khowai River Embankment Breached, 25 Villages Flooded in Habiganj Sadar, Baniachong, and Shayestaganj due to Illegal Sand Mining
Continuous heavy rainfall and upstream hill runoff, exacerbated by illegal sand mining in the Khowai River, caused the river's embankment to breach at multiple locations on July 9, 2026, including a 300-foot section in Habiganj Sadar and Alapur-Charhamua in Shayestaganj. Flooding affected 25 villages, leaving approximately 30,000 people and 6,400 families stranded. Government officials initiated relief distribution, allocated 7.32 crore BDT for embankment repair, and seized two dredger machines involved in the illegal sand extraction.
Hazard specifics
Flood category
Flash Flood
River
Khowai River
Water depth (m)
1.4
Affected scope
2 Records| Scope | Source wording |
|---|---|
| 1 · district | ২৫টি গ্রাম |
| 4 · upazilla | হবিগঞ্জ সদর, বানিয়াচং, বাহুবল, শায়েস্তাগঞ্জ |
1 · district
২৫টি গ্রাম4 · upazilla
হবিগঞ্জ সদর, বানিয়াচং, বাহুবল, শায়েস্তাগঞ্জInvolved entities
3 RecordsKhowai River Embankment
Dredger machines
Khowai River
Causative Person
1 Record| Name | Age | Role | Legal status |
|---|---|---|---|
| G.K. Gaus | — | Whip of National Parliament | — |
G.K. Gaus
Whip of National ParliamentAgencies deployed
Local Administration
District or Upazila level government authorities
Inspection of the embankment, distribution of relief supplies including 1,600 dry food packets, 30 metric tons of rice, and 200,000 BDT cash, damage assessment, allocation of 7.32 crore BDT repair budget, and seizure of illegal dredger machines.
Relief packages: 1,600
Relief amount (BDT): ৳73,400,000 BDT
Relief items: 30 metric tons of rice
Note: Whip G.K. Gaus ordered investigation into illegal sand extraction.
Other
Other response agencies
Repairing the embankment with sandbags and soil.