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🇳🇵 Nepal /Disasters & Emergencies

Bangladesh floods kill 44, leave over a million stranded

From Kathmandu Post · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • At least 44 people have died and over a million are stranded due to floods and landslides in southeastern Bangladesh following days of monsoon rain.
  • Rescue and relief efforts are hampered by power outages, damaged roads, and broken communication links, with army and navy personnel using boats to reach isolated communities.
  • Scientists attribute the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme rainfall and related disasters to climate change, highlighting Bangladesh's vulnerability.

Torrential monsoon rains have unleashed devastating floods and landslides across southeastern Bangladesh, claiming at least 44 lives and leaving over a million people stranded. The relentless downpour has disrupted daily life across seven districts, isolating thousands of families and submerging homes, leaving many unable to cook for days.

There is still water inside our home ​and we have no way to cook. The dry food we had has run out, and we spend the nights in the dark with our children because there is no electricity.

— Nurul IslamA resident of a flood-hit area in Chattogram describes the dire living conditions.

Rescue and relief operations face significant challenges due to widespread power outages, damaged roads, and severed communication lines. Army and navy personnel are deploying boats to deliver essential supplies like food, drinking water, and medicine to cut-off communities. "The government is doing everything possible to support flood victims," stated Disaster Management and Relief Minister Iqbal Hossain, urging those displaced to seek shelter.

The disaster also impacted Rohingya refugee camps in Cox's Bazar, where landslides killed 16 refugees, including children. These makeshift shelters on vulnerable hillsides are particularly susceptible during the monsoon season. Residents like Nurul Islam in Chattogram described nights spent in darkness with children, unable to cook due to submerged homes and lack of electricity.

The government is doing everything possible to support flood victims. Relief, safe drinking water ​and medical supplies are being ​distributed, and we urge people whose homes have been inundated to move to the nearest shelter.

— Iqbal HossainDisaster Management and Relief Minister speaking during a visit to affected areas in Chattogram.

Bangladesh, a nation highly prone to natural disasters, is grappling with the escalating severity of such events. Scientists warn that climate change is exacerbating extreme rainfall, leading to more frequent and intense floods, river erosion, and landslides, posing a long-term threat to the country's resilience.

We’ve lost lives, people have lost their jobs, their livelihoods, people have lost their properties, and it will take years for them to come back.

— Unnamed residentDescribing the long-term impact of the floods on the community.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Kathmandu Post in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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