Heavy overnight rainfall and onrush of upstream water flooded over 100 villages across 15 unions in Nalitabari, Jhenaigati, and Sreebardi upazilas of Sherpur.
Since Friday morning, around 50,000 people in these areas have been stranded. Firefighters and volunteers are working to rescue the stranded people.
The local administration has opened a shelter at Jhenaigati Model Pilot Government High School.
In Nalitabari, firefighters are rescuing residents of five flood-affected unions, relocating them to safe areas.
According to UNO Md. Masud Rana, speedboats and assistance from the army have been requested to rescue trapped people.
. He stated that there is sufficient dry food available in stock, and they have allocated dry food and mineral water for 1,000 people in each of the five unions, and distribution has begun.
According to sources from the upazila administration, local representatives, and residents, water levels in the Moharshi River in Jhenaigati, Bhogai and Chellakhali rivers in Nalitabari, and Someshwari River in Sreebardi began to rise after heavy rains and upstream hill torrents on Thursday evening.
During the night, the river embankments broke at several points, causing the floodwaters to enter the localities.
A breach occurred in the embankment near Noyabil Shimultola, Gakpara, Mondaliapara, Bhojpara, and Garakanda neighborhoods along the Bhogai River, causing flooding in thousands of homes.
Roads from Noyabil to Nalitabari town and Gakpara to Nalitabari Bazaar have been submerged.
Besides , in Barmari, Batkuchi, and Sannyasibhita areas of Chellakhali River, embankments have collapsed due to flood, submerging the Sherpur-Nalitabari road via Gazirkhamar.
The Batkuchi area has been flooded, stranding at least 20,000 people. Firefighters are working to evacuate the residents to safer shelters.
Several residents of Batkuchi said they have not seen such hill torrents or flooding in the past 20 to 25 years. Asim Mrong, a resident of Moriyamnagar village in Jhenaigati, echoed similar sentiments.
Jhenaigati Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md. Ashraful Alam said that heavy rains and upstream hill torrents have caused an unexpected flood situation.
Md. Nakibuzzaman Khan, Executive Engineer of the Water Development Board, said as of 6 pm on Friday, the Bhogai River at Nalitabari point was flowing 65 cm above the danger level, and the fast-flowing Chellakhali River at Batkuchi point was 525 cm above the danger level.