Bountiful yields and top prices bring early Eid to Rangpur. Photo: BSS

By Md Mamun Islam
 
RANGPUR, March 7, 2026 (BSS) - Due to the bountiful crop yield in the char 
areas and good market prices of the produce, an Eid atmosphere has been 
created in the riverside char areas of the Rangpur region, where local 
residents are now busy buying Eid items.
 
People living along the banks of the rivers and sandy char areas in Rangpur, 
Gaibandha, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari districts are eagerly 
preparing for the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations, along with harvesting 
their cultivated crops.
 
Following the bumper crop yield in char areas this season, income-generating 
activities, and changes in their socio-economic status with the benefits of 
social safety-net programmes, the char people are now busy buying Eid items 
within their capacities.
 
Previously, the char people had to live in indescribable misery as extreme 
poverty consumed their fate, while child marriage, dowry, superstitions, 
malnutrition, and lack of clean drinking water and hygienic sanitation 
facilities made their lives miserable.
 
Currently, the situation in the vast char areas has changed where people are 
earning well from their income-generating activities, animal husbandry and 
crop cultivation, and preparing to celebrate the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr in a 
festive atmosphere.
 
Talking to BSS, Dr Syed Shamsuzzaman, chairman of Rangpur-based research 
organization 'North Bengal Institute of Development Studies', said that 
despite living in adverse climatic conditions, the socio-economic condition 
and livelihood of char people are improving.
 
"With the implementation of comprehensive social safety-net programmes, 
income-enhancing activities and crop cultivation on about 82,000 hectares of 
char land, the socio-economic conditions of char people in Rangpur region 
continue to see positive changes," he said.
 
As a result, the Eid atmosphere is prevailing in char areas where local 
people have started to gain economic base and improved livelihoods, while 
also removing social curses through continued GO-NGO support and expansion of 
crop cultivation.
 
"The government's intervention has stabilized the prices of essential 
commodities and helped the people of Char live a better life. Many of them 
are buying clothes and other Eid items to celebrate the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr 
festival," said Dr Samsuzzaman.
 
Char people are now harvesting their cultivated crops in full swing and 
getting excellent yield with rewarding market prices and taking preparations 
with enthusiasm to celebrate the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr.
 
Farmer Aminul Islam of Char Taluk Shahbaz village in Kawnia upazila of 
Rangpur told BSS that he is getting a bumper output with lucrative prices of 
his cultivated crops in char lands on the dried-up Teesta riverbed this 
season.
 
"I am getting excellent production of my cultivated groundnut, pumpkin, 
onion, garlic and various vegetables on char lands with better market prices. 
I am buying clothes and other Eid items for my children and family members," 
said a hippie Aminul Islam.
 
Shahinur Islam and Fancy Begum, a couple from Char Purbo Mohipur in 
Gangachara Upazila of Rangpur, said they are now harvesting 'Khira', 
potatoes, green chillies and other crops on two and a half acres of char land 
on the dried-up Teesta riverbeds.
 
The couple has already sold harvested 'Khira', potatoes and other crops at 
Taka 1.20 lakh and is expecting to earn a net profit of Taka 2.5-lakh 
excluding all expenses after completing harvest by May next.
 
"We have already purchased clothes and other Eid items for our children and 
family members with the money earned from selling our newly-harvested crops 
to celebrate the up[coming Eid-ul-Fitr festival," said Shahinur Islam.
 
Char people Abdul Jalil, Mohsin Ali, Nur Islam, Anwar Hossain, Mokbul Hossain 
and Kafil Uddin of village Paschim Mohipur in the upazila said they are 
planning to buy Eid clothes and other items for their family members to 
celebrate the Eid-ul-Fitr festival.
 
Deputy Director of the Burirhat Horticulture Center of the Department of 
Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Rangpur Dr Md Abu Sayem said char people are 
making good profits from crop farming on char lands every year in Rangpur 
region.
 
"Eid fervor is prevailing in char areas where people are busy in harvesting 
their cultivated crops and purchasing Eid items to celebrate the Eid-ul-Fitr 
in a festive atmosphere," he added.