flood
Parts of Ctg port city go under water amid incessant rains
Incessant rainfall for the last three days caused waterlogging in low-lying areas of Chattogram port city.
Some people were seen wading through knee to waist-deep water to reach their destinations in the morning due to lack of transport.
Office-goers and others had to pay extra fares to reach their workplaces.
Also read: Heavy downpour floods Chattogram city; 4 killed in landslides
Many areas including Bakolia, Agrabad, Muradpur, No 2 Gate, Bohoddar Hat were submerged by rainwater, triggering traffic jam in different parts of the city.
Netrakona’s rail link with other parts of country snapped due to flood
Rail communication of Netrakona district with other parts of the country has remained suspended since Saturday morning as a rail bridge collapsed in Mohonganj upazila of Netrakona district due to flood.
Golam Rabbani, station master of Barohatta Rail Station, said the no 23 rail bridge between Mohonganj and Atitpur Rail Station collapsed in the morning due to strong current of floodwater.
READ: Floods in Sylhet, Sunamganj, Netrakona likely to deteriorate further in 24 hours: Forecast
Inter-city train services of ‘Mohonganj Express’ from Netrakona was suspended while a local train from Mymensingh and Haor Express’ train got stranded at Barohatta Station and Mohonganj station respectively, causing immense sufferings to commuters.
Meanwhile, 39 unions of six upazilas of Netrakona district have been flooded due to onrush of hill water from upstream and heavy downpour in the district, rendering one lakh people marooned.
1 lakh stranded as flood situation worsens further in Kurigram
Flood situation in Kurigram district worsened further due to the swelling of major rivers caused by onrush of water from upstream and incessant rainfall, rendering one lakh people marooned.
According to the local Water Development Board, the Dharla River was flowing 22 cm above its danger level at Setu point while the Brahmmaputra River was flowing 22 cm above its red amrk at Chilmari point at 6 am on Saturday.
Besides, Teesta river water also increased at many point due to continuous rains.
The low-lying areas and char areas of Kurigram Sadar, Ulipur, Phulbari, Nagershwari, Bhurungamari and Chilmari upazilas went under water while nearly 100 educational institutions have been closed due to flood.
River erosion at 30 points of the district has taken serious turn and 20 educational institutions and many houses are facing erosion threat.
READ: 50,000 people marooned by flood in parts of Kurigram
According to the Department of Agriculture Extension, 6,000 hectares of land have been inundated and 150 fish enclosures were washed away by the flood.
Besides, many roads were submerged in nine upazilas of the district, snapping road communication.
Many people have taken shelter in high places including roads and embankments as flood water enters their dwelling houses.
Thousands of people in flood-hit areas are suffering from a shortage of food and drinking water for the last couple of days.
Army deployed to tackle flood in Sylhet, Sunamganj
The government has deployed army personnel in Sylhet and Sunamganj districts to speed up flood rescue and relief operations, according to ISPR.
Nine units of the Bangladesh Army started rescue operations in flood-hit Sylhet and Sunamganj districts in the afternoon.
“The troops have been deployed in Sylhet sadar, Gowainghat, Kompaniganj, Sunamganj sadar, Dirai, Chhatak, Doarabazar and Jamalganj upazilas to rescue the waterlogged people from their homes by boat and take them to safe shelter,” said an ISPR media release Friday.
In addition, troops have been deployed to protect food godowns in Sunamganj and the Kumargaon power station in Sylhet.
The following five tasks are assigned to the members of the army:
1. Rescue people trapped in water and take them to safe places.
2. Selection of temporary shelters with the help of civil administration and provision of accommodation for the rescued persons.
3. Provide medical assistance
4. Assist the civil administration in maintaining food godowns, power stations and other facilities.
5. Provide food and potable water.
BNP slams govt inaction towards helping flood victims
Voicing deep concern over the deteriorating flood situation in different parts of the country, especially Sylhet, the BNP on Friday slammed the government for its alleged apathy towards the suffering of the victims.
In a statement, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir urged the government to stand beside the flood victims with necessary relief materials on an emergency basis.
He also called upon the leaders and activists of BNP and its associate bodies and the well-off sections of society to stand by the flood-hit people in different areas of the country.
The BNP leader said village after village has been submerged in Sylhet’s Sunamganj district, and in the neighbouring frontier districts of Lalmonirhat and Kurigram, with swelling of the Teesta and Jamuna rivers causing erosion apart from flooding.
Read: Corruption being patronized from top level of govt: BNP
“I’m concerned over the flood situation, and I extend my deepest sympathies to the helpless people affected by the flood and river erosion,” he said.
Fakhrul said the flood-affected people in different parts of the country have become hapless and anxious due to the lack of effective measures by the government to deal with the severe natural disasters.
“Homeless people are living in misery for lack of food, clothes and medical treatment. But there are no emergency efforts from the government,” he observed.
The BNP leader alleged that the present ‘anti-people’ government is playing an ‘inactive’ role instead of aiding the helpless people as it has no sense of responsibility towards people.
“I strongly demand the government immediately send relief materials to all the country’s flood-hit and river erosion-affected areas, including Sylhet, Sunamganj, Lalmonirhat and Kurigram, on an urgent basis.
Flood ravages life in 5 north-east districts inc. Sylhet
Heavy monsoon downpours swelled rivers across the country worsening the ongoing flood situation in the north-eastern districts of Sylhet, Sunamganj, parts of Lalmonirhat, Netrakona, Sherpur and Kurigram. At least a million people have been left marooned.
Nine units of the Bangladesh Army started rescue operations in flood-hit Sylhet and Sunamganj districts in the afternoon.
“The troops are working in Sylhet sadar, Gowainghat, Kompaniganj, Sunamganj sadar, Dirai, Chhatak, Doarabazar and Jamalganj upazilas to rescue the waterlogged people from their homes by boat and take them to safe shelter,” said Major General Hamidul Haque, (general officer commanding) of Sylhet Cantonment.
Major General Hamidul Haque said that the power supply in Sylhet Kumargaon power plant was under threat due to rising water level that may force it to shutdown. From noon, the army began construction of a dam with sandbags around the Kumargaon power substation.
Besides, an attempt is being made to dry the water entering the power plant with the help of Sylhet City Corporation's sucker machine.
Sylhet City Corporation Mayor Ariful Haque Chowdhury said, ”If the Kumargaon substation sinks, power connection to the whole district will be snapped cutting off all communication. So we are trying our best to keep this station running.”
Besides, army members are trying to protect several food warehouses in Sunamganj.
Meanwhile, flight operations at Sylhet MAG Osmani International Airport have been suspended for next three days as the flood waters encroached on the runway.
A total of 367 educational institutes suspended classes as the buildings remained under the water in seven upazilas including the Sylhet sadar, said officials of the district Education Board.
The government is indefinitely postponing the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent examinations under all education boards scheduled to begin from June 19. The news came as a relief for the flood-hit regions.
Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) has been closed till June 25 in a decision taken at an emergency syndicate meeting Friday morning.
Sunamganj
Flood situation in Sunamganj went out of hand on Friday as the communication system of the district completely broke down.
Sunamganj municipality mayor Nader Bakht said, "Water has entered almost all the roads and houses in the municipal area. People are seeking refuge in the highlands. The residents of the town have fallen into a terrible disaster.”
Momen vows to help flood-stricken people
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen has urged all to get involved to help the flood-affected people in Sylhet region and join hands with the government to rescue those stranded by flood waters.He said the administration is mobilising an adequate number of speedboats and boats to rescue the marooned people in flood-affected regions and take them to nearby shelters.The foreign minister in a video message from his verified Facebook page on Friday pledged to take government assistance to all flood affected people in Sylhet region.He also urged activists and leaders of local Awami League and its associate bodies to voluntarily provide cooked food to the centers as there is no shortage of relief and dry food.
Read: Worsening floods threaten power supply in Sylhet: officials"The SSC exam was a concern for the students there but it has been suspended for now. Electricity got disrupted in many areas as the Sylhet City Corporation could not protect the Kumargaon power substation from getting flooded ” he added.All the relevant ministries are jointly trying to control the situation and are being alerted and there is nothing to get panicked, said Momen.“It gave us a lesson that we have occupied the water bodies like canal, haor, bil which caused the flood situation to worsen and these need dredging, he said.
SSC exams postponed for worsening flood
Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and equivalent examinations, under all the education boards due to begin from June 19 have been indefinitely postponed due to floods, authorities said.
A notice issued from the education minister's office confirms the matter on Friday.
A new schedule of the exams will be announced later, it said.
READ: June 25 SSC exam rescheduled to June 24: Education Minister
3 lakh people marooned in Sylhet flood
Around three lakh people of five upazilas of Sylhet district have been marooned due to an onrush of water from upstream and heavy showers.
Low-lying areas, including houses, roads, educational institutions, and shops of the upazilas were inundated.
There have been heavy rains since Wednesday morning, which worsened the flood situation.
More than 300 villages, educational institutions, and roads of Companiganj, Gowainghat, and Jaintapur upazilas went under water. Forty-two shelters were opened in Gowainghat for the flood-hit people.
Meanwhile, the water of the River Surma entered houses and shops in Sylhet city. It seeped into the wholesale market at Kalighat and Mohajon Potti for the second time in one month.
Road communications among all unions of Gowainghat upazila were snapped. Around 90 percent of people of the upazila were stranded.
Purbo and Paschim and Moddho Jaflong, Purbo and Paschim Alir Gaon, Rustampur, Tuakul, and Lengura were also inundated.
READ: Flood in Sunamganj: Two lakh people marooned, road communication snapped
Tahmilur Rahman, upazila nirbahi officer of Gowainghat, said: "Many people have become marooned due to the second phase flood. The administration has prepared 42 shelters, and initiative has been taken to take the affected people there."
Meanwhile, Purbo and Paschim Laxmiprashad, Chatul, and low-lying areas of Kanaighat upazila went under water. Hundreds of people of Zakiganj upazila were affected.
Companiganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge Sukanta Chakrabarty said the roads of Sadar upazila were inundated.
According to the Water Development Board, water levels continued to rise in the rivers Surma, Kushiara, Sari, Luva, and Dhalai till Wednesday afternoon.
The water level at Surma was flowing above the danger level at Kanaighat and Sylhet points.
Flood in Sunamganj: Two lakh people marooned, road communication snapped
At least 13 unions and one municipality in Sunamganj’s Chatak upazila have been inundated by floodwater as of Wednesday, leaving around two lakh people stranded.
Several hundred houses, more than 200 educational institutions and at least 100 fish enclosures went under water in recent days.
Various parts of Gobindaganj-Chhatak highway has been inundated too.
The Surma, The Chela and The Piyain rivers continue to swell due to heavy showers and onrush of water from the upstream.
Road communication between Chhatak and other parts of the country has been snapped to the recent flooding.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Chhatak upazila Mamunur Rahman, more than one hundred people have taken shelter government shelter centers.
READ: 50,000 people marooned by flood in parts of Kurigram
Berajpur, Noapara, Alampur, Bilpar, Dashghar, Krishnanagar, Anondonagar, Bagain, Lakshmipur, Gabindanagar and Mohonpur areas of the upazila are the worst affected areas.
Berajpur Government Primary School Headmaster Manik Mia said that floodwater has destroyed important documents of his school.
“We’ve used a boat to shift the documents from the ground floor of the school to another floor,” said Manik.
According to information provided by the Water Development Board (WDB) of the district, water of the Surma river at Chhatak point was flowing above the danger mark Wednesday noon.
“A total of four schools have been declared as shelters. The upazila administration is providing dry food to the people living in the shelters,” said Mamunur.