Staff Reporter :
Intense monsoon rains and upstream hill floods from India have caused severe flooding in five upazilas of Feni district, triggering sufferings of people and damages of crops and fisheries.
Over 150,000 people have been trapped in rising waters, with widespread damage reported across the region as flood protection embankments at 23 locations have been washed away inundating more than 100 villages.
The flash floods, driven by the swelling waters of the Muhuri, Kahua, and Silonia rivers, have already submerged homes, roads, and farmlands.
Initially affecting Parshuram and Phulgazi, the floodwaters have now spread to Chhagalnaiya, Feni Sadar, and Daganbhuiyan, worsening the crisis.
Although water levels have started to recede in Parshuram and Phulgazi, new areas are being inundated, people are disconnected with telecommunication network in certain areas of the district.
Apart from flooding, emergency rescue workers, according to Chief Advisers Office, are restoring the snapped telecommunication networks in flood affected areas as people are failing to community for emergency purposes.
To resolve the situation, the government is mobilising diesel generators to keep network services operational in affected areas, CA office said in a post of the social media on Friday, adding that the government would bear a portion of the fuel costs.
According to the district administration, over 109 villages remain underwater, and nearly 9,500 residents have taken shelter in 82 designated relief centers.
Zahirul Islam, a resident of Daulatpur in Phulgazi, noted, “After nearly a week, we saw the sun today. Our house is still under knee-deep water. If the rain stops, we hope the water will recede quickly.”
However, breaches in the embankments are still allowing water to flow into residential areas, disrupting transport on major roads, including the Feni-Parshuram route.
The local weather office reported 28.4 mm of rainfall in the past 24 hours, contributing to four consecutive days of moderate to heavy rain.
Water Development Board official Akhtar Hossain Mojumder stated that while water levels have dropped slightly in some areas, they are still rising in Feni Sadar and Chhagalnaiya. Repairs to the damaged embankments will begin once the water subsides.
Feni Deputy Commissioner Saiful Islam confirmed that sufficient supplies of food and emergency goods are stocked. Authorities are working to maintain electricity and mobile network access in affected areas, though power has been suspended in some places for safety.
The military, BGB, police, and volunteers are conducting joint rescue and relief operations, distributing dry food, medicine, and essential aid.
Despite slight improvements, initial estimates indicate significant losses: crops on 1,655 hectares have been submerged, and fish worth more than Tk 50 million have been lost as over 1,000 fish ponds were flooded. The northern upazilas of Phulgazi, Parshuram, and Chhagalnaiya suffered the most damage.
Meanwhile, neighboring Noakhali has seen some relief from rain, but floodwaters are receding slowly. Many areas, including roads and homes, remain submerged.
Around 41,840 families have been affected, with damage reported across all six upazilas. The worst-hit regions include Noakhali Sadar, Kabirhat, and Senbagh.
According to District Commissioner Khandaker Istiaq Ahmed, 466 shelters were prepared, and 1,419 people along with 240 livestock have taken refuge. The local administration has formed 51 medical teams, 29 of which are currently active in the field.
Public suffering continues due to waterlogged roads and inadequate drainage systems, particularly in urban centers like Maijdee, where government offices and main intersections remain under water.
The Meteorological Department has forecast continued rainfall for the next 10 days across all eight divisions.
Rainfall is expected to persist through the weekend and into next week, with only slight variations in temperature.
The monsoon trough currently stretches from Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Behar, and West Bengal across Bangladesh to Assam, extending to the North Bay. The monsoon is moderately active over Bangladesh and the North Bay.
According to Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC), over the next 72 hours, water levels of the Muhuri and Selonia rivers in Feni district may continue to decrease, and the flood situation in Feni may improve. Moderate to moderately heavy rainfall is expected in this basin over the next three days.
On the other hand, water levels of the Teesta and Dharla, Surma and Kushiyara rivers are rising and moderate to moderately heavy rainfall is expected in this basin during the next three days.
Water levels of the Ganges-Padma Rivers are rising and may continue to rise for the next five days while water levels of the Brahmaputra-Jamuna river system are increasing, FFWC said.
