, Jan. 24 -- Allegations of bribery, document forgery and abuse of power have surfaced around haor embankment projects in Sunamganj district, raising fears that corruption could undermine flood protection works critical to the country's boro rice harvest.

Farmers in Shalla upazila accuse officials and politically connected individuals of turning publicly funded embankment schemes into a money-making operation, using irregular project implementation committees (PICs) to siphon off crores of taka meant to protect haor wetlands from early floods.

At the heart of the allegations is a pattern of deliberate exclusion. Under government rules, PICs must be formed with five to seven members drawn from landowners and genuine beneficiary farmers i...