Flash floods and relentless rains have brought daily life to a grinding halt across Chittagong, Khulna and Gazipur. Thousands of families remain stranded, major roads are underwater, and educational institutions have been forced to close.
In Chittagong, persistent monsoon rains and upstream runoff have left more than 600,000 people stranded across Chittagong district, while floods have affected over 866,000 people across five districts in the Chittagong division, authorities said on Monday.
According to the Chittagong Divisional Administration, a total of 866,614 people have been affected in Chittagong, Cox's Bazar, Bandarban, Rangamati and Khagrachhari. The floods, landslides and drowning incidents have claimed at least 50 lives and injured another 50 people, reports Chittagong correspondent.
Chittagong district alone recorded 13 deaths and 12 injuries. Authorities said 176 unions in 16 upazilas have been inundated, forcing around 22,600 people to take shelter in 670 emergency shelters.
Although floodwaters briefly receded on Saturday, overnight rainfall caused rivers to swell again, submerging large parts of Satkania and Banshkhali upazilas. Officials estimate that more than 600,000 people remain marooned in the district, with the two upazilas accounting for most of those stranded.
Residents said many remote villages have yet to receive relief, leaving families facing acute shortages of food, safe drinking water, medicine and other essentials. Many roads remain underwater, forcing rescue teams to use boats to reach isolated communities.
The flooding has damaged 14,281 houses, 212 educational institutions and 145 bridges, severely disrupting transport and public services.
The district administration said it has distributed 557 tonnes of rice and Tk30.4 lakh in cash assistance among affected families but acknowledged that more relief materials and financial support will be needed for rehabilitation.
Across the division, Cox's Bazar recorded the highest death toll with 28 fatalities, followed by Chittagong with 13, Bandarban with six and Rangamati with three.
Chittagong Divisional Commissioner Dr Md Ziauddin said the Army, Coast Guard, Fire Service, local administration and volunteers were continuing rescue and relief operations. Officials warned that with more rain forecast, flooding may persist in low-lying areas, complicating ongoing rescue and recovery efforts.
In Gazipur, six consecutive days of heavy rainfall have left large parts of Kaliakoir Municipality in Gazipur under water, disrupting transport, forcing factories and educational institutions to close, and causing severe hardship for thousands of residents, reports our Gazipur correspondent.
More than 20 areas, including Harinhati, Jorapump, Biswaspara, Bhanga Masjid, Chandra Palli Bidyut, Dainkini, Hartakitala and Maiwan, remained inundated on Monday. Knee-deep water on sections of the Dhaka-Tangail Highway at Harinhati and Pallibidyut slowed traffic, while roads, homes and shops in many neighbourhoods were submerged.
Residents said the municipality has faced recurring monsoon waterlogging for years due to inadequate drainage, unplanned urbanisation and the encroachment of canals and drains. They alleged that natural water channels have narrowed and illegal structures have blocked drainage routes, preventing rainwater from flowing out.
The municipality, which hosts around 200 industrial factories, has seen production disrupted after floodwater entered several industrial units. Officials said 10 to 15 factories have temporarily suspended operations, while a number of private educational institutions also remained closed.
The prolonged flooding has disrupted the movement of students and garment workers and created shortages of safe drinking water in several areas. Many low-income residents, including day labourers and rickshaw pullers, said they had lost their livelihoods as continuous rain kept them from working.
Kaliakoir Municipality Administrator and Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) AHM Fakhrul Hossain said the volume of rainfall had exceeded the carrying capacity of local canals, delaying drainage. He said the municipality had started clearing drains and removing obstructions from canals, while long-term plans include re-excavating canals and upgrading the drainage network to prevent recurring waterlogging.
In Khulna, continuous rainfall over the past five days has caused widespread waterlogging across Khulna and neighbouring Satkhira, damaging crops, inundating fish farms and disrupting normal life, officials said yesterday, reports Khulna correspondent.
According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), waterlogging has damaged 239 hectares of cropland in Khulna, including 94.8 hectares of Aus paddy, 7.3 hectares of Aman seedbeds, five hectares of off-season watermelon and 7.2 hectares of chilli fields. Khulna DAE Director Nazrul Islam said prolonged rainfall submerged low-lying farmland in several upazilas, with damage assessments still underway.
The fisheries sector has also suffered significant losses. District Fisheries Officer Badruzzaman said floodwaters inundated 650 shrimp enclosures covering 282 hectares and 162 ponds and dighis in Dighalia and Rupsa upazilas. The estimated loss stands at Tk 2.15 crore, including damage to shrimp, finfish, fish fry and aquaculture infrastructure.
Heavy rain also left several parts of Khulna city under water, flooding roads, homes, educational institutions and residential areas. Water entered hundreds of houses, damaging furniture and household belongings. The worst-hit areas include Jogipol, Teligati, Dhalipara, Jabdipur, Pabla, Maheshwarpasha, Bastuhara, Mujgunni and Goalkhali.
Waterlogging disrupted activities at several schools and colleges, while parts of Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET), including its main gate, playground, residential halls and academic buildings, were inundated.
In neighbouring Satkhira, classes have been suspended at 38 government primary schools after campuses went underwater, according to the district administration. Officials said around 6,000 hectares of Aus paddy have been affected, while at least 127 fish enclosures were washed away, causing an initial loss of about Tk 50 lakh.
Authorities said there is currently no risk of a major flood, but warned that continued rainfall could worsen the situation. District administrations said they are monitoring conditions closely and have taken necessary preparations to respond to any further deterioration.