7 districts flooded, death toll reaches 51 as misery grows

“No sleep in my eyes, there’s no food in my stomach. I don't know when the floodwaters will recede. Why have I fallen into such misery? I don't even have the money to build another house.”

Those were the words of Shely Akter, speaking in Chattogram’s local dialect. She lives in Baharchhara union of Banshkhali upazila, Chattogram. The floor of her mud house remains submerged under water. She has barely slept for five days. Along with her six children, she is spending her days on a makeshift platform inside the house, built by tying together plastic baskets and wooden planks to keep themselves above the floodwater.

Like Shelly Akter, hundreds of thousands of people in Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Bandarban, Rangamati and Khagrachhari are living in such uncertainty. In addition to these five districts in the Chattogram division, Moulvibazar and Habiganj in the Sylhet division have also been hit by flooding.

According to the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief’s 12 July report, floodwaters had inundated 59 upazilas in the seven districts by 12:30 pm on Sunday. A total of 267,918 families remain stranded, while 1,022,963 people have been affected.

The ministry said the death toll from flooding, hill torrents and landslides has risen to 51, up from 44 on Saturday. Cox’s Bazar recorded the highest number of deaths, with 28. Chattogram reported 13 deaths, Bandarban six, Rangamati three and Moulvibazar one.

Heavy rainfall triggered by the monsoon began in the Chattogram region on 5 July. Between 6:00 am on 5 July and 3:00 pm on Sunday, Chattogram recorded 1,354.9 millimetres of rainfall. Of that, 151.7 millimetres fell in the last 24 hours. The Bangladesh Meteorological Department has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall over the next two to three days. After Chattogram, flooding spread to Moulvibazar and Habiganj in Sylhet division.

Partha Pratim Barua, Sub-Divisional Engineer of the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre, told Prothom Alo last night that the flood situation in the southeastern part of the country, specifically the Chattogram region, may improve within a day. However, whether the flood situation in the low-lying areas of the Sylhet division will deteriorate further depends on the amount of rainfall.

Village after village in the Chattogram region has been inundated, roads have been destroyed and communication links severed. While water has begun to slowly recede in some areas, it continues to rise in others. Though some people have started returning to their homes, boats remain the only means of transport in many places. Relief has reached some communities, but many flood-hit people are still waiting for assistance.

Large parts of southern Chattogram remain effectively cut off. In many villages across Banshkhali, Satkania, Lohagara and Chandanaish upazilas, people are living with knee- to waist-deep water. With tube wells submerged, access to safe drinking water has become a major concern. Many families are unable to cook. The destruction of mud houses, crop losses and damage to livestock have left residents facing fresh uncertainty.

Chattogram district has been hit the hardest. Water remains inside homes in many parts of Banshkhali, Satkania, Lohagara, Chandanaish, Fatickchhari and Hathazari. Even where water has receded, normal life has yet to resume. Mud walls have collapsed, food grains have been destroyed. The shortage of pure drinking water has become acute as most tubewells remain underwater.

Md Faruk from Banshkhali lost his 30-year-old mud house on Tuesday night when it suddenly collapsed. He is now staying in a local shelter with his wife and only son. "The home I built bit by bit over the years was gone in a single night," Faruk said. "I don't know how I will start over."

In Cox’s Bazar, while floodwaters have receded in some areas, the suffering persists. Water still covers vast expanses of Chakaria, Pekua, Matamuhuri, Ramu and the Sadar area. In some places, embankments have collapsed, allowing floodwaters to enter residential areas, forcing people to travel by boat.

Floodwaters have begun receding gradually in the three hill districts, revealing the full extent of the damage. Rural roads have been washed away in some areas, while bridges have collapsed in others. Aman and Aus seedbeds, jhum fields and vegetable farms have been inundated. Although many people have started returning home from shelters, numerous families have yet to resume normal life.

Among the three districts, Bandarban remains the worst affected. After rainfall eased on Saturday afternoon, the water level in the Sangu River began to fall. However, most parts of the district town remain submerged. Several sections of the Bandarban–Chattogram and Bandarban–Rangamati roads are still under water.

In Rangamati, floodwaters have started receding in low-lying areas of Baghaichhari, Bilaichhari, Barkal and other upazilas, allowing residents to leave shelters and return home. Dhaneshwar Chakma, chairman of Rupkari Union Parishad in Baghaichhari, said that although some people had returned, most were still staying at shelters.

In Khagrachhari, traffic has resumed on the Dighinala–Langadu road after floodwaters receded from the Headquarters area. As conditions improve, residents are gradually leaving shelters and returning to their homes.

In Habiganj, approximately 6,500 families have been stranded as floodwaters continue to submerge the region. While water has begun to recede slightly from higher ground, low-lying areas remain under two to two-and-a-half feet of water. Intermittent rainfall since Sunday morning has further compounded the misery of the residents.

"The house is underwater," said 65-year-old Siraj Mia from Bangaon village in Habiganj Sadar. "I had to move my livestock to a safe place. All the crops in the fields are ruined. If the water does not go down in a few days, the losses will be catastrophic."

In Moulvibazar, five out of seven upazilas are currently grappling with floods, leaving more than 7,000 families stranded. The Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief has confirmed one death in the district so far.

The situation remains tense in Sunamganj and Netrokona due to five days of relentless rain and heavy upstream runoff. On Tuesday, Sunamganj recorded 265 mm of rainfall, the highest this season, causing the Rama River to swell. Authorities have warned of short-term flooding in both districts as rivers continue to overflow.

In the northern district of Kurigram, rising water levels have intensified river erosion. Families living along the banks of the Dharla, Brahmaputra, Teesta and Dudhkumar rivers are living in fear of losing their homes to the devouring currents.

Meanwhile, in Jashore, heavy downpours have marooned over 200 families in the Keshabpur municipality area, leaving residents in extreme distress as water entered their homes.