Floods engulf Cumilla exam centers as 138mm rain inundates city

Candidates in Cumilla city, Bangladesh, faced significant challenges reaching their Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations due to severe waterlogging caused by 138mm of rainfall in 24 hours. Many students had to wade through knee- to waist-deep water, with some resorting to plastic boats to navigate flooded streets and reach examination centers like Cumilla Government Women's College and Cumilla Victoria Government College.

The heavy downpour, recording 107mm in the morning hours alone, submerged roads across the city, disrupting daily life for commuters, students, and small business owners. Low-lying residential areas also experienced inundation, leading to hardship and damage to household belongings.

One guardian, Zainal Abedin, expressed concern about his daughter sitting for a three-hour exam in wet clothes after being transported through waist-deep water, noting the unavailability of rickshaws and auto-rickshaws. Passengers also reported that some rickshaw and auto-rickshaw drivers charged double fares amidst the rain.

Comilla City Corporation Administrator Yousuf Mollah Tipu stated that sanitation workers were deployed to clear waterlogged areas, and he personally visited several examination centers to assess the situation. The worst-affected areas included Zilla School Road, Police Lines, Racecourse, Chartha, Thakurpara, the BSCIC Industrial Estate, Gobindapur, Muradpur, and Chhayabitan.

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I brought my daughter to the examination centre through waist-deep water. There were no rickshaws or auto-rickshaws available, and I don't know how she will sit for a three-hour exam in wet clothes.