Floods and incessant downpour has left at least 200,000 people from 5,000 villages in Cox’s Bazar marooned – without shelter or food.
Locals said the suffering intensified as the embankment in the area collapsed, devouring thousands of homes and croplands of the area.
Nasima Akhter Bakul, vice-chairman of Cox’s Bazar sadar upazila said: “At least 150 villages of Cox’s sadar upazila have been submerged.”
In addition, 200 villages of five unions have been submerged in the Matamuhuri River of Chakoria upazila under the district.
Important thoroughfares of the district have gone under water, halting inter district communications.
Officials said the floodwater had been flowing above the danger level, threatening a sub power station in the Eidgah area.
Students have also been suffering a lot, as different educational institutions including the traditional Eidgah High School, Eidgah KG School, Darul Farah Academy and Eidgah Government Primary School have been submerged.
Moreover, Eidgah Land office, Eidgah TNT office, Jalalabad Government Health Centre, Jalalabad Union Parishad, Eidgah Union Parishad and other shops in the area were inundated in flood water.
School authorities had suspended all classes, while victims have been demanding that the flood-affected areas be declared a disaster zone.
A flood victim of Bhomriyaghona area, Jasim Uddin, said over 500 families of the area have been marooned.
Ruhul Amin, deputy commissioner of Cox’s Bazar, said, “We have visited the flood-affected areas. Upazila Nirbahi Officers were directed to distribute relief materials among the victims.”
Necessary steps would be taken to mitigate the people’s suffering, he added.