The 33 kilometre embankment saved crops in 22 villages in Itna, Mitamoin and Azmeriganj upazilas in Kishoreganj haor from floods this year, benefiting about 5000 families.

Their life was dependent on nature earlier. Being residents of haor area, they get only one crop a year. In last seven years, the villagers lost crops five times and reached the bottom of poverty. Now they hope to raise more than one rice crop a year.

"During monsoon my cropland used to reel under water every year. But this year I got a good yield," said Rahim Mridha, 50, of Birkul village.

Earlier, floods would damage crops on 12000 acres of land almost every year. Due to the Bijoy Bandh, about 200,000 metric tons of paddy have been saved from flood so far this year.

The embankment has been constructed under UNDP's Cash-for-Work project under flood recovery programme. With financial assistance from UNDP, Gonoshasthaya Kendra initiated construction of the embankment on February 8 this year. It was completed at a cost of about Tk 2. 5 crore.

Over 5,000 poor people also got work during construction of the embankment. "Besides protecting our lives and property, the embankment provided us with work," said Kalimunnesa, a 40-year-old widow.

The villagers are so happy now that they have formed village-based Development Committees for maintenance of the embankment. They are also raising funds-- Tk. 500 per acrefor this.

They have also taken initiatives for tree plantation on the embankment. "It's a great sense of relief that flood could not affect us anymore. We are proud of our Bijoy bandh," said Rahim Mridha.