- Floods across seven districts divide 267,918 households.
- Power outages, broken communications slow emergency response.
- The military delivers water, medicine and necessities by boat.
DHAKA: Floods and landslides triggered by days of torrential monsoon rains have killed at least 44 people in southeastern Bangladesh and left more than a million stranded as authorities on Saturday raced to deliver aid to devastated communities.
The disaster management ministry said on Saturday that floods across seven districts – Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Bandarban, Rangamati, Khagrachhari, Moulvibazar and Habiganj – have disrupted daily life, isolated thousands of families and stranded 267,918 households.
Power outages, damaged roads and broken communication links have slowed rescue and relief efforts. Many residents have been unable to cook for days as floodwaters engulfed their homes, while others battle thick layers of mud-covered kitchens and living spaces.
“There is still water inside our homes and we have no way to cook. The dry food we had has run out and we spend the nights in darkness with our children because there is no electricity,” said Nurul Islam, a resident of a flood-hit area in Chattogram.
Thousands of families rely on dry food – flat rice, puffed rice or crackers that do not require cooking – and emergency aid. However, washed-out roads and damaged bridges have made it difficult for aid workers to reach some of the hardest-hit communities.
Army and Navy personnel are ferrying food, drinking water, medicine and other essential supplies to isolated communities as authorities step up relief efforts.
“The government is doing everything possible to support the flood victims. Relief, safe drinking water and medical supplies are being distributed and we are urging people whose homes have been flooded to move to the nearest shelter,” Disaster Management and Relief Minister Iqbal Hossain said during a visit to the affected areas in Chattogram.
The heavy rains also triggered landslides in Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar earlier this week, killing 16 refugees, including women and children. More than a million Rohingya refugees live in the camps, where makeshift shelters on steep, deforested hillsides are particularly vulnerable during the monsoon season.
Bangladesh is one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries, with seasonal monsoon rains regularly causing floods, river erosion and landslides. Scientists say climate change is making extreme rainfall more frequent and intense, increasing the scale and severity of such disasters
