Relentless rain brings Chattogram to a standstill; little relief in sight
Dark clouds have blanketed the sky since dawn. At times the rain falls as a drizzle, at others in torrential downpours. For several consecutive days, Chattogram has seen little or no sunshine.
Roads have grown quieter, water has accumulated in parts of the city, and anxiety is mounting among residents living at the foot of surrounding hills. The question on many people's minds is: when will the rain finally ease?
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) says heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely to continue in Chattogram for at least another two days.
The department recorded 284 millimetres of rainfall in the 24 hours until 6:00 am on Wednesday, a level classified as very heavy rainfall.
Speaking to Prothom Alo at around 8:30 am on Wednesday, meteorologist Abdul Hamid said the persistent rain was being driven by an active monsoon.
“Heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected to continue across the Chattogram region for at least the next two days,” he said.
While rainfall is a familiar feature of the monsoon season, the almost uninterrupted downpours of recent days have disrupted everyday life across the city. Office workers continue their daily commute beneath umbrellas, traffic has slowed considerably, and footpath vendors are seeing fewer customers.
Uncertain when the next downpour may arrive, many residents are choosing not to leave home unless absolutely necessary.
The severe weather has also disrupted education. All Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations scheduled for Wednesday under the Chattogram Education Board have been postponed, leaving students and their parents facing uncertainty.
The prolonged rain has also heightened the risk of landslides, increasing concern for people living in settlements along the city's hillsides. Local authorities are closely monitoring the situation.
On Tuesday, six people were killed in wall collapses and landslides in Rangunia Upazila of Chattogram, Baghaichhari in Rangamati, and Cox's Bazar.
Heavy rain also caused waterlogging in several parts of Chattogram on Tuesday. However, the Chattogram City Corporation said most floodwater receded quickly once the rainfall eased, attributing the improvement to regular maintenance and clearance of canals and drainage channels.
Meteorologists say Bangladesh is now in the middle of the monsoon season, when moisture-laden winds from the Bay of Bengal frequently generate dense rain-bearing clouds. With the monsoon remaining active, there is little prospect of any significant improvement in the weather for now.
For the people of Chattogram, umbrellas and raincoats remain essential, while the return of clear skies is, for the time being, still hidden behind the clouds.