Severe Flooding in Bangladesh Claims Lives and Displaces Thousands
Flooding Crisis in Bangladesh
Waterlogging in Bangladesh (Photo - @ImbusyWarrior / X)
Dhaka, July 12: Over the past week, Bangladesh has witnessed devastating floods and landslides, resulting in at least 44 fatalities. The relentless rains have caused rivers to overflow, severely impacting the capital, Dhaka, and affecting more than 267,000 families.
The Disaster Management Ministry reported that the fatalities occurred between July 5 and July 12, with many victims drowning or being swept away by floodwaters, while others lost their lives due to landslides.
As of Saturday evening, the ministry confirmed 44 deaths related to flooding, with approximately 267,918 families affected by the disaster.
In response to the crisis, nearly 44,500 displaced individuals have sought refuge in over 1,100 temporary relief camps, primarily located in the northeastern and southeastern regions of the country.
The Bangladeshi government has mobilized the Army, Navy, and Air Force to support local authorities and humanitarian organizations in their relief and rescue efforts across seven severely impacted districts.
The situation remains dire as river levels continue to rise. The state-run Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) has indicated that flood conditions may deteriorate further in parts of the Brahmaputra Basin, with several northern and northwestern districts likely to face new flooding.
Out of 45 river monitoring stations in the Meghna and southeastern hill basins, seven reported water levels exceeding the danger threshold on Sunday. The FFWC cautioned that additional rivers might breach danger levels in the next 24 to 48 hours, leading to more low-lying areas being submerged.
The agency also predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall across Bangladesh's Sylhet, Rangpur, and Mymensingh divisions, as well as in neighboring Indian states like Meghalaya, Assam, and West Bengal.
In Dhaka, an overnight rainfall of 76 mm between midnight and 6 am on Sunday paralyzed large sections of the city. Flooded streets, waterlogged neighborhoods, and overwhelmed drainage systems disrupted traffic, leaving many vehicles stranded and residents confined indoors. Similar flooding conditions were reported in the port city of Chattogram.
Dhaka resident Nasrin Ahmed shared, "The overnight rain flooded my house compound and the roads in my neighborhood."
In the flood-affected districts, many families have taken refuge on rooftops or roadside embankments under makeshift plastic shelters, while inundated health centers have severely restricted access to medical services.
Earlier this week, a tragic landslide in the refugee camps of Cox's Bazar claimed the lives of seven Rohingya children and a teacher, marking the deadliest landslide incident in the camps this year.
Seasonal flooding is a common occurrence in Bangladesh from July to September, as peak monsoon rains, upstream river flows from India, and high tides in the Bay of Bengal combine to inundate vast areas of this low-lying delta nation.