How to make best use of new lands emerging in Bangladesh

Bangladesh's map is not static — it is expanding. Each year, an average of 52 sq km of new land emerges in the Bay of Bengal through silt deposition, while about 32 sq km are lost to river and coastal erosion. 

This creates a net annual gain of around 20 sq km, according to a study by the Centre for Environment and Geographical Information Service (CEGIS) in 2021. Over the last century, the country has added nearly 2,000 sq km of fresh territory — equivalent to more than the land area of Dhaka district.

Most of this new land has appeared along the Meghna estuary and coastal districts like Noakhali, Sandwip and Hatia, where cross dams, embankments and natural sediment flows have facilitated char (sandbank) formation. 

Recent satellite analysis by the Bangladesh Space Research and Remote Sensing Organization (SPARRSO) shows that between 1989 and 2025, stable land around Sandwip expanded from 328 sq km to 726 sq km — a 121% increase.

The SPARRSO analysis further highlights a remarkable geographical transformation: three chars — Sandwip, Subarnachar (formerly Jahajjar Char) and Bhasan Char — are gradually merging, forming an almost continuous landmass in the Meghna estuary. 

This ongoing emergence and unification of the islands is driven by decades of silt accumulation and natural sediment flows, creating new opportunities for settlement, agriculture and fisheries while also reshaping the coastal landscape of southeastern Bangladesh.

New chars have emerged in the Meghna River at Lakshmipur’s Kamalnagar. Photo: Sanaullah Sanu

The economic implications are significant. Between 1994 and 2021, the government allocated nearly 84,000 acres of khas land in these chars to over 36,000 landless families, many of whom have turned once barren flats into productive rice fields, pastures and fishing zones. 

In Sabuj Char, for instance, approximately 4,000 hectares yield 20,000 tonnes of Aman rice annually, while seasonal fisheries produce 2,500 tonnes of sea fish, valued at around Tk1 billion. 

Beyond agriculture and fisheries, these emerging lands also offer prospects for coastal tourism, mangrove restoration and renewable energy projects, making them increasingly important for Bangladesh's sustainable development.

However, effectively utilising these newly emerged lands remains a major challenge, particularly due to land grabbing. 

Reports frequently highlight how politically connected elites seize large parcels of khas land, circumventing laws designed to protect the poor. Land leased to individuals with ties to local MPs is often sub-leased at exorbitant rates to vulnerable char dwellers, denying them legal access.

Also according to Char Development and Settlement Project IV – BWDB, the newly accreted land becomes property of the government (khas land) and is transferred to the Forest Department to plant trees that help stabilise the land. After 20 years, the land is considered fit for settlement. 

But while land is accreting, it is also eroding in other places. 

It is estimated that each year 26,000 people lose their land through erosion. Without anywhere else to go, many of them try to rebuild their lives on the newly emerged chars, often before the 20 years have expired. They occupy the land illegally and in some cases have to buy it from local power brokers. 

The key question, therefore, is how Bangladesh can ensure these emerging lands are managed as sustainable assets rather than remaining temporary, precarious patches. What policies, safeguards, and development strategies can guarantee that they benefit both the environment and the communities that depend on them?

Experts weigh in on a mix of approaches — from ecological and nature-based solutions to structural interventions, legal frameworks and long-term planning — highlighting both the enormous potential and the risks involved in harnessing these new territories.

"New lands are emerging in Bangladesh due to sedimentation in the three river basins," explains Fida Malik A Khan, executive director of CEGIS. "For example, every year around one billion tonnes of silt are deposited, adding approximately 12 sq km of new land in the Meghna estuary alone."

But he also warned that this does not mean the land is permanent. Due to climate change and other human activities, much of it could soon erode.

That volatility makes retention and reclamation the immediate concern. According to Khan, there are two broad approaches. The first is biological, a nature-based solution: planting mangroves and other vegetation that can stabilise loose soil. The Forest Department, he suggests, could adopt a 20-year forestry plan in these newly formed areas to strengthen their foundations.

The second approach is structural, involving embankments and controlled soil filling to consolidate the chars. 

However, such interventions come with trade-offs in a fragile delta system. 

"We have to be cautious," Khan warns. "Bangladesh being a delta country, these measures could have a negative effect on the environment. If a new dam is built in Urir Char, how might it affect Bhola, Sandwip or Hatia? These are questions that are extremely difficult to predict in advance — even with extensive research."

The ecological dimension is equally critical. The Meghna estuary is a major source of fish, and disrupting its flow could threaten local livelihoods. 

In the past, the government conducted pre-feasibility studies on 19 proposed cross dams, but implementing such interventions could cost Tk5,000–8,000 crore, with no guarantee of success, Khan noted. 

"That's why governments are always very cautious," Khan added. "They do not want to take any whimsical strategy."

Meanwhile, Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman, a noted economist and Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC) chairman, believes the new lands emerging in Bangladesh hold immense potential, but realising that potential requires a systematic approach from the government and policymakers. 

"These new lands can definitely bring prospects for Bangladesh," he said. "But to make sure of that, the government and the policymakers need to proceed in a structured and careful way."

He emphasised that the opportunities span multiple dimensions. Economically, the new lands could become a new agricultural frontier, since most existing land in the country is already cultivated. "New lands mean new possibilities," Dr Rahman explained. 

"Local people have already started settlement and agriculture there, but these activities need to be controlled and maintained by the government itself." Beyond farming, he highlighted the potential for fisheries development and other activities tied to Bangladesh's blue economy, given the lands' proximity to the sea.

Dr Rahman also pointed out the social importance of these emerging territories. "Bangladesh is the most densely populated country in the world, with a very low land-to-person ratio. New lands can give some respite and relief," he said. 

He cautioned, however, that settlement history in the country has often been marked by conflict. "To make the best out of the new lands, the government and local administration must ensure that settlement happens within a legal framework."

Finally, he noted the geopolitical dimension. "Since the new lands are emerging within Bangladesh's sea area, they are becoming a theatre of interest for every entity involved in this region," Dr Rahman said. 

In his view, careful planning and systematic intervention are essential to transform these fragile territories into assets for agriculture, settlement, and national strategy, rather than leaving them vulnerable to misuse, environmental risk, or dispute.

"And that is why the responsibility cannot be left to just one or two ministries or departments," Dr Rahman stressed. "It requires a coordinated effort. From the local government to the Forest Department, the Water Development Board, the Ministry of Land, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change — and every other relevant body — only if they work together will it be possible to turn these emerging lands into real assets for Bangladesh."