State Minister for Local Government Mir Shahe Alam on Thursday claimed that no waterlogging occurred in Chittagong during the recent rainfall, dismissing media reports as “baseless, fabricated and imaginary.”
Speaking in a statement under Rule 300 in parliament, the state minister alleged that old images from 2024 had been circulated on social media to spread misinformation.
"There was no waterlogging in Chittagong city. The reports claiming that the city was submerged are completely unfounded. Old photos were used to create confusion," he said.
However, he acknowledged that temporary water congestion occurred at five locations, including Probortona intersection, following heavy rainfall on April 28.
According to the minister, around 220 millimeters of rain fell in the city that day, leading to brief water congestion, not prolonged waterlogging. "The water was drained within three to four hours through coordinated efforts," he added.
The issue drew attention in parliament on Wednesday when ruling party MP Sayeed Al Noman raised a supplementary question, prompting Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to express regret to the residents of Chittagong and assure steps to address the problem.
Shahe Alam said he visited different areas of the city on Wednesday under the prime minister's directive and inspected the situation alongside officials from Chittagong City Corporation, Chittagong Development Authority and the Water Development Board.
He said residents appreciated the prime minister's gesture of expressing regret. "People have taken it very positively. They believe it reflects her large-heartedness," he noted.
Highlighting ongoing drainage development, the minister said Chittagong has a total of 57 canals, of which 36 are being developed under a Tk 12,000 crore project implemented by the Bangladesh Army through the Chittagong Development Authority.
"So far, work on 30 canals has been completed, while six are still under construction," he said, adding that temporary dams (barricades) built for the work contributed to water congestion during the sudden heavy rainfall.
He said instructions have been given to remove or adjust barricades within the next five days to ensure smooth water flow in the canals.
A coordinated committee led by the city mayor has also been formed to respond quickly to any such situation in the future, he added.
"Unless there is an extreme weather event like heavy rainfall or storm surge, there is little likelihood of waterlogging in Chittagong city from the next rainy season," the minister said.