Bangladesh floods kill 44, strand over a million

Torrential monsoon rains have caused devastating floods and landslides across seven districts in southeastern Bangladesh, killing at least 44 people and leaving over a million stranded. The disaster management ministry reported that daily life has been severely disrupted, isolating thousands of families and cutting off essential services.

Rescue and relief operations face significant challenges due to widespread power outages, damaged roads, and severed communication lines. Many residents have been trapped in their homes for days without electricity or the ability to cook, relying on dry food supplies. The submerged homes and mud-covered living spaces add to the hardship.

“

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.

Army and navy personnel are actively engaged in ferrying essential supplies like food, drinking water, and medicine to cut-off communities. Disaster Management and Relief Minister Iqbal Hossain assured that the government is providing all possible support and urged those whose homes are inundated to seek refuge in the nearest shelters.

The heavy rainfall also triggered deadly landslides in the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox's Bazar, resulting in the deaths of 16 refugees, including women and children. These makeshift shelters on vulnerable hillsides are particularly susceptible during the monsoon season. Experts attribute the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme rainfall events to climate change, exacerbating the scale of such disasters in Bangladesh, a country highly prone to natural calamities.

“

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.