As Bangladesh prepares to mark the 19th anniversary of Cyclone Sidr, elderly fishermen in the coastal region say the 1988 cyclone was even more devastating, recalling how they lost fathers and other family members to the disaster.
Many were teenagers or young men when the cyclone struck the coastal region. Having survived successive disasters, they continue to venture into the sea, but frequent low-pressure systems and rough weather have become a growing concern.
Nurul Islam, a fisherman from Kabiraj in Raruli, said he was at Golakata Char during the 1988 cyclone. He survived by clinging to tree branches, but the force of the wind eventually snapped them, throwing him into the water. He managed to stay alive by catching hold of another large tree.
He was also at Dublar Char during Cyclone Sidr in 2007, when seven or eight members of his fishing team died. He said they had to bury the bodies in the sand. “The 1988 cyclone was far more terrifying than Sidr. Even holding on to tree branches could not save us. The memories still send shivers down my spine,” he said.
Shankar Kumar Bihari, a fisherman from Hetampur in Paikgachha, lost his father, Goshto Bihari, in the 1988 cyclone. He was a school student at the time and had accompanied his father to a fair after his examinations.
“The next morning, bodies were scattered everywhere. We found a sack of wet rice and shared it among 30 to 35 people. It was an unimaginable disaster,” he recalled.
Many families affected by Sidr are yet to recover from the devastation.
Jalil Fakir, 38, of Bhaijora village in Morelganj, has been living with his wife and son in a dilapidated house with a golpata roof covered in polythene since losing his home to Sidr. Despite working as a hired fisherman for 27 years, he cannot afford to build a new house.
His wife, Reshma Begum, said rainwater enters their home during storms, soaking their bedding and clothes and forcing the family to spend sleepless nights.
In Southkhali, Sharan Khola, more than 100 families affected by Sidr and subsequent cyclones are still living on embankments, said former union parishad member Zakir Hossain.
He said repeated disasters, including Cyclone Amphan, had prevented residents from rebuilding their lives. Although an embankment has been constructed, inadequate river management continues to leave the area vulnerable.
Zakir also lost his father and nephew to Sidr. Despite 19 years of struggle, he said, his family has been unable to rebuild the house they lost.
On November 15, 2007, Sidr struck the southwestern coast, bringing a storm surge of 12-15 feet and devastating coastal areas of Satkhira, Khulna, Bagerhat, Barguna and Patuakhali. Southkhali was among the worst-hit areas, with 778 people killed.
Official figures put the nationwide death toll at 3,363, while the Red Crescent estimated it at around 10,000. The cyclone affected 30 districts and 200 upazilas, destroying homes, roads, bridges, embankments and agricultural land and leaving thousands of families struggling to rebuild their lives.
