Recent floods in the eastern region of the country have caused damages amounting to Tk14,421 crore. The largest share, 35%, of the damage occurred in the agriculture and infrastructure sectors, according to information provided by the Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD).
The information was disclosed in a press conference at the CPD office on Sunday.
CPD Executive Director Fahmida Khatun said that the recent devastating floods in the southeastern region, including Comilla, Feni, Noakhali, and Lakshmipur caused damages of Tk14,421 crore, which accounts for 0.26% of the GDP.
Of this, the agriculture and forestry sectors suffered the most, with losses amounting to Tk5,169 crore.
She further added that infrastructure losses were Tk4,653 crore, while damages to homes were recorded at Tk2,407 crore.
The most severely affected district was Noakhali, where damages amounted to Tk4,191 crore, followed by Comilla with losses of Tk3,390 crore.
There was a lack of coordination in the distribution of relief in the flood-affected areas.
There are mixed reactions regarding whether public representatives should have been involved in this process.
Some individuals received relief more than once, while many others did not receive any at all. Moreover, there were reports of some people selling the relief items they received, she added.
Earlier, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that 18.3 million people in the country had been affected by natural disasters over the last four months (from May to August).
These disasters included cyclones and floods. The recent floods affected the largest number, with 5.9 million people facing the impact.
The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (Unicef) reported that at least 5.6 million people have been affected by severe flooding in southeastern Bangladesh, including over two million children who are facing various health and psychological risks.
More than 52 deaths have been reported due to the floods so far. Over 500,000 people have lost their homes. The floods have submerged houses, roads, fields, and crops.
Meanwhile, continuous rainfall and flash floods from upstream have submerged new villages in the Nalitabari, Jhenaigati, and Sreebordi upazilas of Sherpur.
While the flood situation has improved somewhat in the upazila sadar of Nalitabari and Jhenaigati, at least 150 villages in low-lying areas remain submerged.
Three people, including an elderly person and a woman, died in flash floods in Nalitabari on Friday, and a member of an ethnic minority group died in Jhenaigati at night.
However, their identities have not yet been confirmed.
As new villages are being submerged, the number of waterlogged people is increasing.
Over 50,000 people remain waterlogged in the three upazilas.
The floods have damaged fish ponds, and vegetable cultivation. At least 10 points in the embankments of the Maharshi and Bhogai rivers in Jhenaigati and Nalitabari have collapsed, flooding roads and farmland in various villages.
On Saturday morning, the Water Development Board reported that the water levels of the hill rivers Someshwari, Karnajora, Maharashi, Bhogai, and Chellakhali are flowing above the danger level. If the rain continues, the flood situation will worsen further.