Man’s body ferried on raft to distant graveyard as floodwater everywhere

Floodwaters stretched in every direction, leaving the entire area submerged. Amid the inundation, several people carefully lifted the body of a deceased man onto a makeshift raft. The raft carried the body approximately 300 metres across the floodwaters before it was transferred to an autorickshaw and taken nearly two kilometres away for burial.

The incident took place in a flood-affected area of Satkania Upazila in Chattogram on Friday. The deceased was Mohammad Forkan, 60, an autorickshaw driver by profession. He was a resident of Janar Keochia Union in the upazila. He died at around 3:00 pm on Friday and was laid to rest later that night.

Local residents said that floodwaters had submerged Forkan's house, courtyard, family graveyard and the surrounding area. Earlier on Friday morning, he had been catching fish in the floodwater with a net. However, he suddenly fell ill and later died at home.

As his house and courtyard remained under water, it was impossible to perform the ritual washing of his body there, while the family graveyard was also inaccessible for burial.

Family members said that, because of the flooding, Forkan's body had to be taken to Dastidarhat, around two kilometres from his home, where the ritual washing and other funeral preparations were completed. His namaz-e-janaza was held at Fakir Mura Eidgah in the same area at around 10:00 pm..

He was subsequently buried on government-owned hillside land used as a public graveyard. The funeral prayer was led by his eldest son, Hafez Rashedul Islam.

Md Mohsin, Panel Chairman of the Janar Keochia Union Parishad, confirmed the incident.

Speaking to Prothom Alo this afternoon, Sunday, he said, "Most parts of the union remain under water. As the family's home, graveyard and access roads were inundated, the body had to be transported by raft to dry ground before being taken to a government burial site some distance away."

Forkan's younger son, Russell Uddin, told Prothom Alo, "Our family graveyard is beside our house. My grandparents and other deceased members of our family are buried there. My father also wished to be buried beside his parents. But because of the flood, we could not fulfil that wish."

"When my father died, the water in our family graveyard was waist-deep. That is why we had to bury him on a distant hillside," he added.

Many parts of Satkania Upazila in Chattogram have remained submerged for nearly a week following incessant heavy rainfall and flash floods caused by hill run-off.

Although the situation has improved somewhat over the past two days as rainfall eased, the local administration said Satkania Municipality and all 17 unions of the upazila remain inundated to varying degrees. Nearly 400,000 people continue to be marooned by floodwaters.

Prashanta Talukdar, Sub-Divisional Engineer of the Chattogram office of the Bangladesh Water Development Board, told Prothom Alo this afternoon that the water level of the Sangu River at Satkania remains four centimetres above the danger mark.

He said the water is receding slowly because of high tidal conditions in the Bay of Bengal and continuing rainfall in the surrounding hills.

Shamsuzzaman, Assistant Commissioner (Land) of Satkania Upazila, told Prothom Alo that the flood situation has shown signs of improvement. However, with heavy rainfall resuming from this morning, there are renewed fears that additional homes may once again be inundated.