A farmer named Akhtar Hossain (60) has reportedly died of a heart attack in Kishoreganj’s Austagram haor area after witnessing his ripe paddy fields being submerged in floodwater, according to his family.
He was taken to the Upazila Health Complex on Saturday (May 2) evening, where doctors declared him dead.
The deceased was a resident of Alinagar West Para in Deoghar Union. Local Union Parishad member Mocha Nasima Akhtar said he fell ill after seeing his paddy fields go under water.
Family members said Akhtar Hossain had cultivated Boro paddy on around three acres of land. Due to continuous rainfall and upstream water flow, large areas of haor were flooded, destroying most of his crops. Although some paddy had been harvested, transportation issues prevented it from being brought home.
Relatives claimed that he was under significant mental stress as he had taken a loan of around Tk 150,000 for cultivation. After visiting his fields in the afternoon and seeing the damage, he became critically ill and was rushed to the hospital.
Meanwhile, the district agriculture office reported that an additional 2,000 hectares of paddy fields have been flooded in the haor region due to continuous rain and upstream water flow, bringing the total affected area to about 9,045 hectares. The worst-affected areas are Itna and Austagram upazilas.
