They also demonstrated in front of the house of Khandaker Mahbub Uddin Ahmed, the local lawmaker from Dhanmondi-Mohammadpur constituency, demanding his resignation for what they said was his failure to take steps to stop erosion.

Aslam Ahmed, a resident of Basila, said, "If the government does not come forward to check the erosion, 250-year old Basila, which is the home of more than 20,000 people, will be washed away." They also staged a sit-in in front of the lawmaker's house from 7:30am to 12:00noon.

The lawmaker assured the protesters of a visit to Basila today although he made no commitment to stopping the erosion.

Khandaker Mahbub told The Daily Star yesterday that he would take up the matter with Shipping Minister Akbar Hossain and Water Resources Minister Hafiz Uddin Ahmed.

The lawmaker, however, cited the experts' opinion that it is not possible to stop the erosion unless the water recedes totally.

Since August 13, the diverted course of the river Buriganga devoured 35 houses with more than 56 units of rooms at Basila. It still threatens to wipe out the entire Basila with flood plains on one side and the Buriganga on the other.

The erosion was obvious because of three brick kilns constructed illegally on the river, demolition of which Basila residents already demanded. The kiln owners, in the beginning of recent floods, dumped millions of rejected bricks into the river to build a solid dyke to prevent the river from flowing by both sides of their installations.

Between Mohammadpur flood protection embankment and Basila, Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) constructed a kilometre long road from east to west over the flood plains, which lacked culverts for flow of water from upstream to Buriganga.

After the first phase of destruction, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) frantically tried to demolish the dyke, which temporarily weakened the river flow. But after recent heavy rainfall, the river flow again went furious devouring many more houses and threatening Basila's very existence.