In pictures: 3 islands emerge and merge in Bangladesh

The ancient island of Sandwip in the Bay of Bengal—mentioned in SPARSO’s research as being 3,000 years old—has long been undergoing erosion and sediment deposition. Two new landmasses, Jahajjar Char (now known as Swarna Dwip) and Bhashan Char, have emerged beside it between 1989 and 2025. Gradually, the three islands are merging into one. Near the mouth of the Meghna River, a new ‘Shobuj Char (Green Char),’ of about 80 square kilometers has surfaced—more than half of which still remains barren, though some areas are now used for farming and grazing. According to locals, this new land feels like regaining the ancestral homestead for those who lost their homes to the sea. Around 7,000 families have become self-reliant through rice cultivation, fishing, and livestock farming.