Floodwaters recede, revealing devastation across 7 districts
Graphics: Agamir Somoy
The floodwaters are receding, and the scars are surfacing. In some areas, highways and rural roads have been torn apart. The stench of rotting dream crops and valuable household belongings fills the air.
For those whose houses were swept away, only the bare foundations remain. It is as if the floods have stripped the flesh from most areas of the seven districts, leaving behind only a skeletal frame.
This is the scene across all flood-affected regions, including Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, and Bandarban. Damage assessment and relief operations are currently underway, and reconstruction efforts are expected to begin soon.
Chattogram’s rural infrastructure devastated
In Chattogram, rural roads have suffered the most. Around nine days of heavy rainfall and mountain runoff caused flooding in 15 upazilas of Chattogram and various parts of the city.
Large areas of Satkania, Banshkhali, Chandanaish, Anwara, and Lohagara upazilas remained underwater for the longest duration. Sandwip, Hathazari, Rangunia, and Fatickchhari in North Chattogram were severely damaged.
Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), which maintains rural roads, has been surveying the damage since the water began to recede. As of Wednesday, they have received reports of 582 broken roads.
A total of 391 kilometers of these roads are damaged. On some, the carpeting has been stripped away; others are broken in the middle, while the cement casting on some has submerged.
Moreover, some unpaved roads have been completely obliterated. Most roads have broken in intervals.
LGED Chattogram Executive Engineer Mohammad Jamal Uddin told Agamir Somoy that the number of damaged roads will likely increase. Roads in several upazilas, including Sandwip and Hathazari, are still under tidal or floodwaters.
According to Upazila Engineer Sabuj Kumar Dey, the survey is not yet complete, and the number of damaged roads will rise. So far, the estimated damage is around Tk 15 crore.
Repair efforts underway amid new weather threats
Jamal said, “Initially, the loss has been estimated at around Tk 180 crore. Once all accounts are received, this will increase further. Repair work has already started. The first goal is to reopen the roads that are completely closed.”
Meanwhile, another low-pressure area has formed over the Northwest Bay of Bengal and the adjacent North Odisha-West Bengal coastal area. According to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD), this system may intensify further.
Consequently, rainfall will continue in various regions of the country and may increase particularly in coastal areas.
Meteorologist Tariful Newaz Kabir said, “The low pressure may move over land within the next 24 to 48 hours. This could increase rainfall in coastal regions. However, the probability of the kind of heavy rainfall - near 250 to 300 millimeters - that occurred in various parts of the country a few days ago is relatively low this time.”
Devastation in Cox’s Bazar
In Cox’s Bazar, nine consecutive days of heavy rain, mountain runoff, and flash floods have effectively devastated public life. A preliminary consolidated report from the district administration shows that 70 unions and four municipalities across 10 upazilas in the district have been affected.
More than 1,30,000 families and over 24 lakh people have faced losses due to the floods. Preliminary estimates place the financial loss around Tk 890 crore. This figure may rise after detailed field-level verification.
A call for sustainable rehabilitation
Beyond relief, sustainable rehabilitation is required. Lawyer Mir Mosharraf Hossain Titu said, “While immediate relief efforts are essential, the crisis will not be resolved without a long-term solution.
“Effective initiatives must be taken for the rehabilitation of affected families, providing seeds and fertilizer for farmers, fish fry and feed for fish farmers, low-interest loans, repairing damaged roads and embankments, re-excavating rivers and canals, and conserving mountains.”
Driven by the need for a livelihood, hundreds of houses, shops, and businesses had formed a small fishing village along the banks of the Naf River called Jaliapara. Located on Shah Porir Dwip in the Subrang union of Teknaf, the village has now turned into a “dead village.” With a history of nearly 150 years, Jaliapara was a living reflection of traditional Bengal.
Just two decades ago, there were about 350 families living in the fishing village of Shah Porir Dwip. More than 7,000 people lived in rows of small shanties stretching north to south along the banks of the Naf.
The families who had taken shelter on the banks of the Naf, dreaming of surviving another hundred years, have been rendered destitute by that very river. River erosion and floods have washed everything away.
Crisis in Rajarhat and Hatia
Char Biddanondo is a remote river island in Rajarhat, Kurigram. It is located along the Teesta River in the Biddanondo union. Residents complain that although they are part of Biddanondo union, they do not receive necessary facilities like other areas.
Because communication is poor in this river-surrounded area, no one checks on them regularly. Nearly 6,000 people on this char are living in inhumane conditions due to erosion and damage caused by runoff from India and heavy rains.
In the last two weeks, at least 25 homesteads in the West Char Biddanondo area have been washed away by the river.
Mondalpara Jame Mosque and East Char Biddanondo Government Primary School are at risk. Hundreds of people living along the riverbanks are spending their days in panic and uncertainty.
In Noakhali, the upazila of Hatia was submerged by the floods. As it has not rained for three days, the water has slowly begun to recede.
However, as the water goes down, the horrific picture of damage in the agricultural and fisheries sectors is becoming clear. Simultaneously, houses, rural roads, and bridges/culverts have been damaged.
Meanwhile, with a new low pressure forming in the Northwest Bay of Bengal, BMD has issued cautionary signal number 3 for the country’s seaports.
International assistance
UK government has announced £355,000 or Tk 5.7 crore in humanitarian aid for over 55,000 people affected by the floods. British High Commission in Dhaka confirmed the matter on Wednesday.
