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🇧🇩 Bangladesh /Disasters & Emergencies

Floodwaters wash away roads, cutting off villages and impacting thousands in Bangladesh

From Daily Star · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Floodwaters have washed away three key rural roads in Kurigram and Lalmonirhat districts, Bangladesh, affecting over 5,000 residents.
  • Villagers are struggling to cross damaged sections, wading through knee-deep water or carrying bicycles, with women, children, and the elderly facing the most hardship.
  • Local officials state that road repairs will commence once floodwaters recede, but residents fear further damage if new floods occur before repairs are completed.

Floodwaters have severed vital road links in three villages across Bangladesh's Kurigram and Lalmonirhat districts, leaving more than 5,000 people facing significant hardship. Key rural roads in Phulbari, Nageshwari, and Kaliganj upazilas have been washed away by strong currents, disrupting daily life and access to essential services.

We still have knee-deep water on both sides of the road. We have to carry our bicycles on our shoulders while crossing the flooded section. Women, children, students and elderly people are suffering the most.

— Azgar AliA local resident describing the difficulties faced due to the washed-away road in Gorokmondol village.

Residents are navigating treacherous conditions, wading through knee-deep water or precariously carrying bicycles to cross the damaged sections. The most vulnerable, including women, children, students, and the elderly, are bearing the brunt of the difficulties. In Gorokmondol village, approximately 25 meters of road collapsed into the Dharla River, cutting off vehicular movement for over 1,500 people who rely on it for travel to the union parishad, upazila headquarters, and district town.

Farmers are facing challenges in transporting their crops to local markets due to the damaged roads. "If the road is not repaired quickly and another flood hits, the damage will only worsen," warned farmer Mecher Ali. Local Union Parishad Chairmen have indicated that repair work will begin after the floodwaters recede. In Telanikuti village, nearly 30 meters of road were lost to the Dudhkumar river, forcing residents to take a significantly longer alternative route.

If the road is not repaired quickly and another flood hits, the damage will only worsen.

— Mecher AliA farmer expressing concern about the impact of damaged roads on crop transportation and potential future flood damage.

While temporary repairs have restored pedestrian movement in Rudreshwar village, where about 10 meters of road collapsed due to the Teesta river, full-scale reconstruction is pending the complete recession of floodwaters. Officials from the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) in Kurigram confirmed that preparations are underway to repair multiple damaged rural roads across the district, with instructions issued to expedite the process.

There is an alternative route, but it requires travelling at least five kilometres extra. The road should be repaired as soon as possible.

— Sujan Chandra SenA local farmer in Telanikuti village highlighting the inconvenience caused by the road damage.
DistantNews Editorial

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

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