Meherjan lives in a slum on the Sirajgonj Towen Protection Embankment. The whispering wind from the river Jamuna makes the fire unsteady. The dancing flames remind Meherjan of the turmoil in her life.

মেহেরজান সিরাজগঞ্জ শহর রক্ষা বাঁধের উপর এক বস্তিতে বাস করেন। যমুনা নদী থেকে আসা শনশন শব্দের বাতাস আগুনকে অস্থির করে তোলে। অগ্নিশিখার লাফালাফি মেহেরজানকে তার ভয়ানক জীবনের কথা স্মরণ করিয়ে দেয়।

Not long ago Meherjan had everything a family,cultivable land and cattle. The erosion of the Jamuna gradually consumed all her land property. It finally claimed her only shelter during the last monsoon.

কিছুদিন আগেও মেহেরজানের সবকিছু ছিল-একটি পরিবার, আবাদি জমি ও গবাদিপশু। যমুনার ভাঙন পর্যায়ক্রমে তার সব ভূ-সম্পদ গ্রাস করেছে। পরিশেষে গত বর্ষায় এটা তার একমাত্র আশ্রায় কেড়ে নিয়েছিল ।

It took the river only a day to devour Meher's house, trees, vegetable garden and the bamboo bush. She had a happy family once. Over the years, she lost her husband and her family to diseases that cruel hunger and poverty brought to the family.

নদীটি একদিনে মেহেরের বাড়ি, গাছপালা, শাক-সবজির বাগান এবং বাশঁঝাড় ভেঙে নিয়েছিল। একদা তার একটি সুখী পরিবার ছিল। বিগত বছরগুলোতে রোগের কারণে তিনি তার স্বামী ও পরিবার হারিয়েছিলেন যা তার পরিবারে নিষ্ঠুর ক্ষুধা এবং দারিদ্র বয়ে এনেছিল।

Now she is the only one left to live on with the loss and the pain. The greedy Jamuna has shattered her dreams and happiness. There are thousand others waiting to share the same fate like Meherjan.

এখন ক্ষতি ও বেদনা নিয়ে তিনি একাই বেঁচে আছেন। আগ্রাসী যমুনা তার স্বপ্ন ও সুখ চুরমার করে দিয়েছে। মেহেরজানের সাথে একইরকম ভাগ্যবরণ করতে হাজারো মানুষ অপেক্ষা করছে।

Bangladesh is a land of rivers, some of whose banks overflow or erode during monsoon. Erosion is a harsh reality for the people living along the river banks. During each monsoon many more villages are threatened by the mighty rivers like the Jamuna, the Padma and the Meghna.

বাংলাদেশ একটি নদীমাতৃক দেশ, বর্ষার সময় কিছু নদীর তীর প্লাবিত হয় কিংবা ক্ষয় হয়। নদী তীরের বাসিন্দাদের জন্য ভাঙন একটি নিষ্ঠুর বাস্তবতা। পদ্মা, মেঘনা এবং যমুনা নদীর মতো অনেক নদীর আগ্রাসনের ফলে প্রতি বর্ষায় আরও অনেক গ্রাম ভাঙনের কবলে পড়ে।

It is estimated that river erosion makes at least 100,000 people homeless every year in Bangladesh. In fact, river erosion is one of the main dangers caused by climate change. If we can't take prompt actions to adapt to climate change,there will be thousands of more Meherjans in our towns and villages every year.

আনুমানিক হিসাব করা যায় যে, নদী ভাঙন বাংলাদেশে বছরে কমপক্ষে এক লাখ মানুষকে গৃহহীন করে। বস্তুত নদী ভাঙন হচ্ছে জলবায়ু পরিবর্তনের কারণে সৃষ্ট প্রধান বিপদ্গুলোর একটি। যদি আমরা জলবায়ু পরিবর্তনের সাথে খাপ খাওয়াতে ত্বরিত পদক্ষেপ না নিতে পারি তাহলে প্রতিবছর গ্রামে এবং শহরে হাজারো মানুষের মেহেরজানের মতোই পরিনতি হবে।।


1. Choose the best answer from the alternatives:

(i) What does the expression the turmoil in her life in the 1st paragraph mean?
(a)The pleasures of her life. (b)The thunderstorm in her life.
(c)The pangs and pains of her life. (d) The dreams of her life.

(ii) Which of the following best describes the similarity between the Padma and the Jamuna in the light of the passage?
(a) Fat diet. (b)Extinction of man. (c)Largeness. (d)Erosion.

(iii) Which of the following best describes the erosion for the people living banks?
(a)Harse reality. (b) Natural disaster. (c)Turmoil. (d)Normal issue.

(iv) Which of the following statement is true about Meherjan's life?
(a) Full of success. (b)Mixture of happiness and sadness. (c) Full of turmoail. (d) Full of peace.

(v) What are the rivers mentioned in the passage?
(a) The Jamuna (b)The Padma (c)The Meghna (d) All of the above

(vi) The word harsh means- -
(a) rending (b) rude (c) penetrating (d) barbarous

(vii) What does the word 'roar' in the passage refer to?
(a) Laugh (b) Wipe (c) Moan (d) To make a loud deep harse sound.

(viii) Meherjan's dreams and happiness are - - by the greedy river Jamuna.
(a) destroyed (b) boosted (c) flourished (d) mixed

(ix) Bangladesh is a land of - - .
(a)forests (b) rivers (c) the poor (d) bbmosques

(x) Every year rive erosion makes people - -
(a) poor (b) rich (c) homeless (d) happy

(xi) Meherjan lives in a slum - to Sirajgonj Towen Protection Embankment

(a) belongs (b) belonging (c) situated (d) closed

(xii) Due to river erosion in Bangladesh, each year about- people become homeless.
(a)one lakh (b) one thousand (c) one million (d) ten thousand.

(xiii) Meherjan looks aged because of - -.
(a)maltreatment (b) deprivation (c) her age (d) illness

(xiv) People --near the river banks are the victimes of river erosion. (a) living (b) live (c) stay (d) migration

(xv) The greedy Jamuna look only --to demolish everything of Meherjan.
(a) a week (b) a day (c) tin (d) iron and cement

(xvi) The shelter of Meherjan is --roofed.
(a) wood (b) polythene (c) tin (d) iron and cement

(xvii) The fire is made unsteady by the wind from the --.
(a) Padma (b) Meghna (c) Jamuna (d)Buriganga


2. Answer the following questions:

a) Who is the central figure of the passage?
b) What is her condition now?
c) What was her condition a few years back?
d) Where does she live now?
e) Who are her family members at this moment?
f) In which season does river erosion most likely occut?
g) What was the reason of her downfall?
h) What impact did river erosion play on Meherjan?
i) What is river erosion?
j) How many people are the sufferers of river erosion?

a) The central figure of the passage is Meherjan
b) Meherjan’s condition now is very miserable and helpless. She has lost her home and land to river erosion
c) A few years back, Meherjan had her own home and land. She lived with her family and led a simple life.
d) Now Meherjan lives in a slum as a climate refugee, having lost her own land and house to river erosion.
e) At this moment, Meherjan has no close family members left. Her husband died long ago, her only son left her, and she is now all alone
f) River erosion most likely occurs in the rainy season (monsoon), when the rivers overflow due to heavy rainfall and strong currents.
g) The reason for Meherjan’s downfall was river erosion caused by climate change
h) River erosion had a devastating impact on Meherjan. It took away her home, land, and means of livelihood, leaving her homeless, landless, and extremely poor
i) It is a natural process but can be aggravated by heavy rainfall, floods, and human activities
j) Millions of people are sufferers of river erosion, especially in Bangladesh, where it displaces thousands of families every year, making them homeless and landless.