Dhubri Brahmaputra Char Island Farmers Assam

The char islands of the Brahmaputra river in Dhubri and Bongaigaon districts of lower Assam are fragile alluvial sandbars inhabited by predominantly Muslim Bengali-speaking farming families who cultivate mustard, jute, boro rice, and vegetables on the flood-prone chars during the dry season. Char agriculture is subsistence-level and deeply vulnerable to annual flooding and erosion that reshapes and sometimes destroys entire char islands during monsoon. Char farmers operate without land titles on state-claimed riverbed land, accessing cooperative credit through microfinance SHG networks. The government char development programme provides embankments, seed distribution, and school facilities. Women in char communities play a central role in mustard oil pressing using traditional wooden press and jute cultivation. The cooperative federation of char farmers advocates for land rights and flood compensation. Dhubri is also a significant border trade point with Bangladesh for agricultural produce.