Bangladesh: Between monsoon and dry season | DW Documentary

In southern Bangladesh, silt islands along the Jamuna River regularly appear and disappear. These ‘chars‘ are populated, despite the fact that they are completely flooded during the monsoon season.

Part of the great river Brahmaputra, the Jamuna river sees the emergence and disappearance of these ‘chars’ every year. The people who live here are known as the Chauras, and they have organized their lives around rise and fall of the waters. They go about their agricultural work and live in small communities, always knowing that everything they have built up can be destroyed with the coming of the monsoon season.

The film also documents the dry season, when the river Jamuna recedes, leaving long white sand beds and new islands of fertile soil. Chaura Rahim Shorkar has plenty to do now and hopes to harvest the crops in time for the next flood.

Rahim does not want to trade his life here for one on the mainland. His wife Alea, however, takes a more critical view. What future do they have here? What future awaits their six-year-old son Ashik?
At any moment, they could face the same fate as their neighbor Shuruz Saman, who has been hit for the sixth time in his life. All his fields and land have been swallowed up by the water and once again, making a new start costs him his entire savings.

All the Chauras know this suffering. They all help each other, lending a hand when the corrugated iron walls of their houses need to be moved again because of the waters. Life here is not easy and will not get easier. On the contrary, climate change is set to intensify the extremes of the monsoon and dry seasons.

#documentary #dwdocumentary #bangladesh
______

DW Documentary gives you knowledge beyond the headlines. Watch top documentaries from German broadcasters and international production companies. Meet intriguing people, travel to distant lands, get a look behind the complexities of daily life and build a deeper understanding of current affairs and global events. Subscribe and explore the world around you with DW Documentary.

Subscribe to:

[marleengevers]

Thank you.
I visited a few regions in Bangladesh last year. I found the people most extraordinary: very open and friendly, curious, hardworking and optimistic for the future.
I wish all these people a long and happy life.

[asabuj]

DW became a master of quality documentary making. Love from Bangladesh.

[benedictgregory]

This is one of the real pictures of Bangladesh. Though their daily life journey is so hard and full of struggle, their smiling faces inspire us. As a Bangladeshi, I am encouraged by them. Thanks to DW to present this content.

[giovannimai]

The young man's dream to take advantage of IT to improve his life is admirable. I wish him the best.

[jahangiralam-prpp]

Our house already broken four times. Alhamdulillah we have never left the River. Because the river is connected to our soul. Really goosebumps feelings when i was watching DW. Full documentary i enjoyed with tears. Thanks DW
From: Balorampur, Kurigram, Bangladesh. 🧡🧡🧡

[rashed]

Rahim's younger brother, he is very confident and positive minded boy. I can clearly say there are So many dreams in his eyes. May God fulfil all his dreams. I wish him the best.

[Tammissa]

This is how people should be helping and supporting each other. I really hope the younger brother makes his dream of working from home on computers come true! All the best to these amazing strong adaptable people. Even with difficulties they are smiling and laughing. I can learn a lot from these people about gratitude and appreciation.

[tetrashine]

Love Bangladesh from Srinagar Kashmir 🌲❤️

[tareqhasan]

This is really beautiful. As a Bangladeshi I didn't see any Bangladeshi documentary like this, this is truly masterpiece. Nice work keep it up ❤

[janithayash]

Kudos to Bangladeshi people... greetings from 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

[uateva]

What an absolutely fantastic documentary. I’d never heard of the Chauras before, and now I am in awe at these courageous, resilient and extremely hard-working people. Thank you.

[oprasongik]

Firstly, I want to express my gratitude to DW for creating such an extraordinary documentary about the wilderness of Bangladesh. This documentary accurately portrays the true spirit of the people of Bangladesh. Despite countless adversities, the people of Bangladesh remain cheerful, always hopeful of a better future. They perceive challenges as blessings, and they conquer fear. A young boy from a rural area can dream of starting a company, even in the face of limited resources. A person can step forward to help another without being asked.

What I'd like to emphasize is that we have learned to cope with the adversities of nature, but we are still struggling to adapt to the adversities created artificially. I'm not sure whether we'll be able to or not. Prominent among the artificial adversities are floods artificially caused by neighboring countries and global warming on an international scale. Please do not impose artificial disasters on us. We have, by the grace of God, the ability to overcome natural calamities. We are children of nature; nature governs us and in return, nature loves us, sacrificing itself for us.

Thank you again for presenting Bangladesh so beautifully to the world.

[ferdinandmagellan]

Bangladesh is land of river .She has more than seven hundred river.Humble request to all to visit this beautiful land.Special thanks to DW for covering the struggle of people of Jamuna silt island.

[saptarshibanik]

This was once the land of my forefathers. Thankyou DW for making such a documentary that shows the beauty of Bangladesh. ❤

[rpfhrsx]

As a person from chaur I know how hardship goes through this place. Hats off those heroes who live there and producing corps for the country 😢

[EustaquioSantimano]

Thank you for producing an amazing documentary. The resilience and love for their "chars" is truly admirable.

[deeringkendrick]

This was so fascinating. It's sometimes difficult to just enjoy the story of their lives without trying to "solve" their lives for them. I can't say enough just how beautiful this was.

[mohammadshiham]

Thank you DW for making documentary about my beautiful country... Love from Bangladesh ❤️

[pathaklalgolder]

I feel this Chauras life from my heart. I grew up in very similar conditions in rural Bangladesh. Thank you for this documentary.

[siliconslice]

That was natural, that quarrel within the couple was really natural and true. I love this whole documentary.