In the dry season the Meghna is calm. In the last week of November, the wide fields of the Meghna char in Kishoreganj are green with vegetables. Though peaceful from afar, life for farmers on this char is far from easy.

More than a hundred farmers grow crops here through constant struggle. One of them is Borhan Uddin. Geography, poor communications and difficulty getting quality seed and fertiliser keep char farming under constant pressure. As elsewhere, farmers complain about the quality of seed and seedlings, but the reality on the char is harsher.

Still, char farmers regularly supply the country's food stores. They say excessive chemical fertiliser and pesticide use is threatening soil health. Crops are sold to wholesalers on the char, but the risks of investment and of getting fair prices fall mostly on farmers.

About 10 per cent of Bangladesh's land is char, home to about 10 million people, who are the first hit by river erosion, floods and climate change. Yet in farmers' hands, the chars are becoming a blessing.

With planned farming, accessible inputs, training and strong market systems, the chars could become a field of new opportunity, and linking char farmers to mainstream development can move the country towards sustainability.

Source: Shykh Seraj, Hridoye Mati O Manush. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.