- Floods in seven districts have left 267,918 households stranded.
- Power outages and interrupted communications are slowing rescue efforts.
- The army delivers water, medicine and basic necessities by boat.
DHAKA: Floods and landslides triggered by days of torrential monsoon rains have killed at least 44 people in southeastern Bangladesh and left more than a million people stranded as authorities raced Saturday to deliver aid to devastated communities.
The Ministry of Disaster Management said on Saturday that floods in seven districts – Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Bandarban, Rangamati, Khagrachhari, Moulvibazar and Habiganj – disrupted daily life, isolated thousands of families and stranded 267,918 households.
Power outages, damaged roads and disrupted communications links have slowed rescue and relief efforts. Many residents have been unable to cook for days as floodwaters have submerged their homes, while others are struggling to get rid of thick layers of mud covering kitchens and living spaces.
“There is still water inside our house and we have no way to cook. The dry food we had has run out and we are spending nights in the dark with our children because there is no electricity,” said Nurul Islam, a resident of a flood-hit area in Chattogram.
Thousands of families rely on dry food – flattened rice, puffed rice or biscuits that do not require cooking – and emergency relief. However, destroyed roads and damaged bridges have made it difficult for aid workers to access some of the hardest-hit communities.
Army and navy personnel are ferrying food, drinking water, medicine and other essential supplies to isolated communities by boat, as authorities step up relief efforts.
“The government is doing everything possible to support the flood victims. Relief, drinking water and medical supplies are being distributed, and we are urging people whose houses have been flooded to move to the nearest shelter,” Disaster Management and Relief Minister Iqbal Hossain said during a visit to the affected areas in Chattogram.
Heavy rains also caused landslides in Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar earlier this week, killing 16 refugees, including women and children. More than a million Rohingya refugees live in these camps, where makeshift shelters on steep, deforested slopes are particularly vulnerable during the monsoon season.
Bangladesh is one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world, with seasonal monsoon rains regularly causing floods, river erosion and landslides. Scientists say climate change is making extreme rainfall events more frequent and more intense, increasing the scale and severity of these disasters.
