Floods Leave Chittagong Communities Trapped Without Essentials
At least 30 people have been killed after days of heavy rain set off floods and landslides across south-eastern Bangladesh, with residents in Chittagong saying whole communities have been left trapped in water and waiting for help.
Footage shows streets and markets submerged in floodwater, with residents pushing boats through inundated areas to move people and goods. Shops and roads are surrounded by standing water after nearly a week of rain, leaving many families without basic necessities.
Residents Describe Days of Waterlogging and Lack of Support
Resident Ismail Hossain said people had been stuck for days, with floodwater entering the area and no clear way for it to drain away.
“For the past 5-6 days, we have been stuck in water, unable to move. It is very difficult to go to work in the morning and return in the afternoon. There is no way to drain the water. Due to the embankment, water is only entering the locality due to rain and tidal water, but there is no way for the water to go out. So far, the government has not provided us with any assistance,” he said.
Another resident, Mohammad Mamun, said the flooding had become a yearly ordeal and accused local officials of failing to act after repeated promises to build sluice gates.
“For the past 4-5 years, we have been suffering from flood conditions. Every year, they always promise to build sluice gates on the embankment after the monsoon, but they do not keep their promises. We have been waterlogged for 6 days now. We are unable to go to the market to buy food for our wives and children. Everyone in the house has fallen ill due to waterlogging. This is how our life of hardship has been going on for 6-7 days,” he said.
Flooded Families Struggle as Food and Health Concerns Grow
Food has also become a pressing concern in flooded neighbourhoods. Mohammad Alamgir said about 2,000 families could not cook after their homes were submerged.
“We are surviving on dried muri and tea. Besides, our cattle have been standing for 5-6 days due to the water. The cattle have become sick from standing. Children and the elderly are suffering from water-borne diseases,” said Alamgir.
Cox’s Bazar has recorded the highest toll, with 19 deaths. Five people were reported dead in Chittagong, five in Bandarban and one in Rangamati.
Authorities Prepare Shelters as More Rain Threatens Region
Bangladesh’s disaster management ministry said 1,427 shelters had been prepared across Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Bandarban for people at risk from flooding and landslides. It stated more than 13,000 people had moved into shelters in four of the districts, while Cox’s Bazar had 640 shelters ready but not yet occupied.
The ministry also said relief allocations had been made in two rounds, including cash, rice and money for baby food.
In the Rohingya refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar, authorities have been moving people away from dangerous hillsides after landslides killed refugees in recent days. More than 1 million Rohingya refugees from Myanmar live in the camps, many in makeshift shelters on steep and exposed ground.
Bangladesh’s weather office has forecast more rain in the coming days, raising the risk of further flooding and landslides in a region where poor drainage, hill runoff and tidal water can quickly turn heavy monsoon rain into a wider emergency.
Article by Viory.
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