Dhaka, often dubbed the "city of magic" in songs, quickly turns into the "city of waterlogging" with continuous rainfall.
Despite various initiatives announced by its two city corporations to address the issue, heavy or prolonged rain can still submerge the city in the blink of an eye.
Even after the rain stops, water lingers on the roads for extended periods, causing severe inconvenience to city dwellers.
Residents complain that the mayors have yet to implement any effective measures to tackle waterlogging, while city authorities blame public negligence for the persistent problem.
According to the weather department, the capital saw 60 millimetres of rain in three hours from 6am on Friday. It had issued a rain alert the previous evening.
Despite the early warning, the delay in clearing the water from the streets sparked anger among residents, leading to widespread ridicule on social media.
Pedestrians navigating the streets also expressed their dissatisfaction.
Job seekers heading out for government recruitment exams faced significant hardship. It seemed the heavy rain had turned roads into canals, making it impossible for rickshaws or CNG-run autorickshaws to operate. As a result, some arrived at the exam centres after much struggle, while others could not attend the exams at all.
Besides, many shops in Dhaka opened late due to the rain. The waterlogged streets further hampered business activities, with customers turning away to other stores due to the standing water in front of some shops.
Tawhida Sumi, a resident of Mirpur 2, could not attend her exam at Government Bangla College due to the waterlogged streets.
"I left home despite the rain, but the area in front of my house was inundated. No rickshaws were available. Even after walking a bit, I could not find any vehicles. Eventually, I had to return home," she told this correspondent.
Shopkeepers in Mirpur 11 reported having no customers despite opening their stores.
"I opened late today. Fridays are usually busy… but today there were no customers. Water is flowing like a stream inside the market," said Munna, the owner of Munna Store.
Meanwhile, one rickshaw puller, Ruhul Amin, said he was struggling to find passengers, completing only three trips since the morning.
"Most of the time I was just sitting idle. The waterlogging at Mirpur Jhutpatti made it impossible to ride through; my rickshaw would almost get submerged," he said.
The Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) said it had formed teams of 10 to 12 for each of its 10 regions to ensure quick drainage after the rain stopped.
These teams remove blockages caused by garbage during the rain.
DNCC Mayor Atiqul Islam has mentioned at various events that unlike before, waterlogging no longer lasts all day, but people are encroaching on canals and discarding plastic bags, bottles and waste in random locations.
The mayor blames these for clogging the drains and obstructing water flow, leading to waterlogging that takes time to clear.
He adds that efforts are underway to reclaim canals, stating that permanent solutions to waterlogging will involve constructing drains before building roads, as no such planned development has occurred previously.
The DNCC hopes that proper management and increased public awareness will eventually eliminate waterlogging.
Both city corporations have urged residents to report any waterlogging issues to their emergency hotlines. The DNCC’s emergency service number is 16106 and the Dhaka South City Corporation's is 01709900888.