'I thought we wouldn't survive'

Saleha Begum, over 70 years of age, and her daughter-in-law Aleya Begum (45) were trapped by water for three days. They had somehow managed to clamber on to the roof of a neighbour's brick house and took shelter there. There was no food and they survived simply on water. Finally yesterday, Friday, at around 10:30 in the morning they were rescued by local people.

Saleha Begum and Aleya Begum are residents of Nijkunjara in No. 10 Ghopal union of Chhagalnaiya upazila in Feni. After they were rescued, this correspondent spoke to them at the Samity Bazar area of the union. Drenched in water, they were huddled by the side of a road. Members of the fire service and civil defence had given them biscuits and water.

In a broken and exhausted voice, Saleha Begum, said, "Where did so much water come from! How we managed to survive!" She was gasping for words.

Next to her, Aleya Begum described their ordeal. She told Prothom Alo, water began entering their area from Wednesday morning. They didn't realise that by the night everything would go under water. There had never been so much water before.

Aleya Begum said, water rushed in with full force at night, drowning their corrugated tin and fence house. Within moments knee-deep water reached the waist, then waist-high water reached the neck. They clambered onto the roof of a neighbouring brick house. They had no food for two days and survived on water.

Aleya Begum said, "We didn't fight the water. We thought we wouldn't survive. All we could see was darkness all around. We couldn't contact anyone. My husband and sons were far away and so couldn't reach home."
Aleya Begum's husbands works in Chattogram and her two sons in Mirserai. She lives in the village with her mother-in-law. Her husband and sons had started for home upon hearing about the floods, but were unable to reach. And as there was no mobile network or electricity, all communication was cut off too.

Aleya Begum said, the way the water had risen, they could do nothing. They couldn't imagine they would face such a disaster.

Six upazilas of Feni were still inundated yesterday, Friday. Thousands of people were trapped by water. The crisis of drinking water is worsening. The army, navy, BGB, fire service and civil defence as well as voluntary organisations are carrying out rescue work. Yesterday thousands of persons like Aleya Begum and Saleha Begum were moved to safety.
During this correspondent's stay for half an hour at Ghopal union in Chhagalnaiya upazila, 24 women and children were rescued by engine-run boats. The Chattogram fire service and civil defence deputy assistant director Mohammad Abdullah was on the spot. He said they had rescued over a hundred people by two boats and brought them to safety.

Roshna Begum was rescued by local people and brought to safety at around 9:30 in the morning. When approached to hear her experience, she said, "First let me drink water, then I'll talk. I haven't had a drink of water since Thursday night."

After resting a bit and having a drink of water, the over-60-year-old Roshna Begum began to talk. She said that they lived in Munshipara of the sadar upazila. In front of her eyes she saw her home and hearth being washed away. She didn't have the means to set up her homestead again.