An hour-and-a-half of heavy rain on Sunday afternoon left Mauna intersection, in Gazipur’s industrial hub of Shreepur municipality, under water.
Dirty drain water overflowed into homes and shops, while a shortage of public transport compounded the misery of residents.
The downpour began around 4pm on Saturday and continued until 5:30pm, leaving surrounding areas of the intersection flooded.
It took more than 12 hours for the rainwater to drain. Residents endured immense suffering. Locals, frustrated by years of unresolved waterlogging, blamed the indifference of authorities. As a result, people have been forced to go about their lives in Mauna while facing such hardship. Although the municipal administrator had earlier assured that the drains would be cleaned before the monsoon, the problem persists.
Residents alleged that despite collecting hundreds of crores in annual revenue through taxes, trade licences, and birth and death registration services, the municipality has failed to maintain regular drain cleaning. Even moderate rain creates these dire situations. Commuters, drivers, and pedestrians all suffer due to this.
Shreepur municipality, home to nine wards and 81 mouzas, has a population exceeding one million.
A spot visit revealed that Mauna intersection, a major commercial area under the municipality, had gone underwater. Local residents suffered, while passengers, drivers, and pedestrians were left struggling. Business dropped significantly due to a lack of customers. Traders said their afternoon sales had been wiped out entirely.
Rehena Akter, a garment worker, said rainwater from both sides of the road had reached under the Mauna flyover. “I’ve been standing knee-deep in water for half an hour, waiting for a rickshaw,” she said. “None are available because of the flooding.”
Pedestrian Jamal Uddin said rainwater had flooded the Dhaka–Mymensingh highway. “The water is so deep it looks like boats could sail here,” he said. “The alleys, houses—everything is underwater.”
Afroza Akter Runa, a schoolteacher, said: “The mouths of the drains are blocked, so the water cannot flow. If the municipal workers don’t clear them, we are in real danger.”
Autorickshaw driver Uzzal Mia said the waterlogging has made movement extremely difficult. “The suffering has reached its peak. We need an urgent solution,” he said.
Selim Sheikh, a fabric trader at Yakub Ali Master Tower, said: “Due to the flooding, customers are not coming, and sales have dropped. We’re in deep trouble.”
Shihab Khan, a mobile shop owner and journalist, said the sides of the flyover were submerged in knee-deep water after the afternoon rain. “Water entered nearby shops. People avoided roads, markets, and malls throughout the afternoon. Life started to return to normal after 6pm when the rain stopped,” he said.
Resident SM Abul Kalam Azad said this waterlogging is nothing new. “For over two decades, even light rainfall leads to flooding here. The narrow drains along the Dhaka–Mymensingh highway remain clogged most of the year. Some are broken and completely blocked. Illegal structures on both sides of the road prevent proper drainage,” he said.
“Waste from local hotels and restaurants frequently clogs the drains. Not only during the monsoon—even in the dry season, overflowing drains flood the highway,” he added.
Khorshed Alam Masudar, general secretary of Shreepur Municipal Conscious Citizens’ Forum (SNAF), said: “The town’s drainage system is in a dire state. Just a little rain floods the whole town. There is no initiative to improve the sewage system. During heavy rain, dirty drain water floods homes, spreading foul odours. Walking the streets becomes nearly impossible. Without a master plan and without constructing new drains or repairing the old ones, people cannot be freed from this suffering.”
Rausan Hasan Rubel, president of SNAF, said: “Citizens pay taxes to receive services. But flooding the entire town after a little rain is unacceptable. Everyone wants the municipality to build modern drains and ensure a permanent solution to this problem.”
Shreepur Municipal Administrator and Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Barrister Sajib Ahmed said the drains had been cleaned before the monsoon. “As it rained heavily after a long time, waterlogging occurred in some areas of the town,” he said. “It should drain in two or three hours.”
“The municipality has taken steps to keep drains clean. If people don’t block the drains by dumping garbage, this wouldn’t happen. I believe a little public awareness can help solve this problem,” he added.
