At least eight districts of the country were flooded by incessant rains and the onrush of water from upstream on Wednesday, leaving millions marooned.
The flooding has also snapped road communication in several areas.
The flood situation in the eastern part of the country may soon improve, as flash floods tend to rise and drain quickly due to their nature, according to experts.
Sarder Udoy Raihan, Executive Engineer of the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC), said: “Since these are flash floods, we expect the situation to improve rapidly.”
Raihan does not anticipate a long-duration flood, as flash floods typically cause water levels to rise and fall quickly.
“This time, the water level is higher than in previous instances,” he added.
Raihan explained that heavy rains upstream over the last 24 hours have caused the flooding. With the rain still continuing, water levels could rise further or remain steady for the next 24 hours.
The FFWC confirmed that five rivers in Moulvibazar, Habiganj, Feni, Comilla, and Chittagong are flowing above the danger level.
According to the FFWC, the water levels of the Manu River in Moulvibazar, the Khoyai River in Habiganj, the Halda River in Chittagong, the Feni and Muhuri Rivers in Feni, and the Gumti River in Comilla are rising.
The FFWC has marked their stations at Habiganj and Ballah in Habiganj, Manu-RB in Moulvibazar, and Narayanhat in Chittagong as severe flood areas, with water levels more than 1 metre above the danger level.
Additionally, the stations at Kamalganj and Manu in Moulvibazar, Markuli in Sunamganj, Meghna BR in Gazaria, Comilla, Parshuram and Ramgarh in Feni, and Daulatkhan in Bhola have been marked as flood areas, with water levels several centimetres above the danger level.
The FFWC has marked seven of its stations under warning, with water levels within 50 centimetres below the danger level.
Heavy downpours over the last 72 hours have flooded eight districts of Bangladesh, including Sunamganj, Moulvibazar, Habiganj, Feni, Chittagong, Noakhali, Comilla and Khagrachhari.
Rains upstream have caused the rivers to flow more than a metre above the regular water level, and India has opened the switch gate of the Dumbur Reservoir after three decades.
As people were unprepared for the flood, it may have a long-term impact on their lives.
Rangamati
Low-lying areas of Baghaichhari upazila in Rangamati have been inundated due to the onrush of floodwaters from hills. The administration and local political parties are working to deal with the situation.
The only means of transportation now is by boat. Agricultural lands have been damaged, and flood victims with livestock are in distress.
Locals report that a dam in the Barobindu area broke, quickly flooding the municipality. As a result, the entire area became waterlogged.
Baghaichhari Upazila Nirbahi Officer Shirin Akter reported that approximately 9,000 people from eight unions and one municipality have been affected. The district administration has allocated 25 tons of food grains.
So far, 55 shelters have been opened, and by evening, 1,655 people had taken refuge in them, where cooked food is being provided.
Noakhali
The Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS) Noakhali Unit has already set up a control room and formed three teams for flood rescue operations. The unit confirmed that Noakhali Sadar, Begumganj, Kompaniganj, Kabirhat, and Hatia Upazilas are flooded.
Jobayer Hossain, a member of the BDRCS, said: “We are now preparing for a relief program. Flood shelters have already been set up in schools in Begumganj. Some schools in Sadar Upazila are also being prepared as flood shelters.”
on Wednesday evening, a visit to the Adarsha High School shelter in Noakhali revealed that nearly 280 people from around 60 families had taken refuge there. Many had to leave their homes, leaving behind their pets, and rushed to the shelter with just the clothes on their backs.
Abdur Rashid from Lakshminarayanpur, who arrived at the shelter, said: "I haven't seen so much water in the last 20 years. Water has risen up to waist level in the house. Everything inside is ruined. All the poultry has drowned and died. I came to the shelter with my wife and children to save our lives."
Feni
Fulgazi, Parshuram, and Chagolnaiya Upazilas of Feni are now facing severe flooding, with water levels reaching up to 12 feet in some areas. The water level between Mohipal and Grand Trunk Road is at waist level.
Most roads in Feni City are also flooded. Tahsin Islam Tanzil, a territory officer of ACI Motors, said: “The water level started rising on Tuesday. Nobody expected it to rise this much within 24 hours.”
A team from ACI Motors rescued three families from the Fulgazi area. Tanzil confirmed that locals have organized a relief program with dry food supplies.
The Bangladesh Army is also rescuing flood-affected families in Feni.
It has been reported that since Monday night, the floodwaters have damaged power lines, leading to widespread power outages in most areas of the Parshuram, Fulgazi, and Chhagalnaiya Upazilas.
At least one person has died in the district due to the flooding.
Khagrachari
Most of Khagrachari, including Dighinala and Panchhari, have been heavily damaged by floods.
Avik Tripura, a resident of Khagrachari, said: “We have been facing continuous rain for the last four days. Many houses have been damaged by the water.”
This water damage may prolong the suffering. Avik also confirmed that some parties are distributing relief to the flood-affected people.
“The crops and chicken farms have been damaged the most. The cost of the flood is very high,” said Avik.
Moulvibazar
Rupan Ahmed, a resident of Juri Upazila, said: “I lost Tk10 lakh in the last floods. The flood came, and I lost all the fish in my fishery. I had just stocked the pond with new fries as the water level had gone down, but I lost them again last night.”
Rupan is concerned that if the rain continues, his house will be flooded.
Abdul Latif, a UP ward member of Kulaura, said: “If the situation continues, we expect significant damage to our crops.”
Roads are already damaged in some parts of Kulaura.
Helal Uddin, a resident of Sylhet’s Fenchuganj, adjacent to Moulvibazar, said, “Some houses are already flooded. The water is rising to road level.”
Helal confirmed that the banks and barriers of the Manu River are damaged and the water level is still rising.
Comilla
So far, Comilla City has not flooded. However, as the water level of the Gomti River continues to rise, there is concern that lower elevations might be affected by flooding.
The city has been waterlogged due to the rain over the last two days. Sayeed Ahmed, a resident of Comilla, confirmed that the city’s poor drainage system could not properly drain the rainwater. The floodwater has not yet reached the city.
However, since on Wednesday morning, a vast swath of farmland in Comilla has been submerged by oncoming waters as authorities across the border in India’s Tripura had to resort to opening a reserve sluice gate to deal with their own flooding.
States of Tripura and Assam
The upstream areas of all the rivers affected by the flood are in the Indian states of Tripura and Assam.
In Tripura, at least seven people have lost their lives due to landslides or drowning triggered by heavy rainfall over the last two days. The state government has set up 183 relief camps across Tripura.
Brijesh Pandey, revenue secretary of Tripura, said: “Respective district administrations and line departments are working around the clock to assist flood-affected families. Dry rations, medicines, and fruits are being provided to people who have been shifted to the relief camps.”
The Assam Rifles have launched rescue and relief operations at Kanchanbari in Unakoti district (across the border from Moulvibazar) and at Amarpur and Karbook in Gomati district (across the border from Khagrachari).
For the first time since 1993, the switch gate of the Dumbur Reservoir in Tripura has been opened, marking a significant event in the state’s recent history. Borok Time, a Tripura-based media outlet, reported: “The opening of the Dumbur Reservoir’s switch gate was deemed necessary to prevent the reservoir from overflowing, which could have led to even more catastrophic flooding downstream.”
Guwahati, the capital of Assam, has also been affected by the flash floods.