Residents of Middle Char in Paba upazila of Rajshahi, locally known as “Mini Switzerland” for its scenic Padma River landscape, say they endure severe shortages of basic public services. The char, part of Charkhidipur in Harian Union’s Ward 8, has about 140 to 150 households and more than 700 residents. Despite farming and livestock rearing being the main livelihoods, residents lack healthcare, markets, grid electricity, a cemetery, higher-level education and flood shelters.

There is no hospital, clinic, pharmacy or basic treatment facility on the char, forcing emergency patients and snakebite victims to cross the river by boat for care. Residents say pregnant women, children and critically ill patients face particular danger, especially at night or during poor weather. Deaths require burial across the river in cemeteries in Khojapur and Dasmari, while household supplies must be bought from markets on the mainland.

Flooding during Bhadra and Ashwin submerges large areas for up to two months, displacing families and livestock and damaging crops. Locals have requested a hospital, high school, sufficient solar panels and an elevated shelter for people and animals. They also report uncertainty over land records, rent payments and mutation procedures for ancestral holdings.