Rain, hill runoff trigger fresh flooding

Bangladesh’s flood situation deteriorated further on Friday as relentless monsoon rain and surging upstream flows from India inundated fresh areas across the southeast, northeast and north, breaching embankments, disrupting transport and forcing the postponement of public examinations.

The worst-hit areas included Sylhet division, parts of Chattogram division and several northern districts after heavy rainfall in India’s Meghalaya, Assam and Tripura states sent large volumes of water into cross-border rivers.

Flight operations at Sylhet airport were suspended after floodwater entered the runway, while Sylhet, following Sunamganj, also experienced widespread power outages.

According to the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC), six rivers were flowing above the danger level at 10 monitoring stations by Friday evening.

The Khowai River at Balla in Habiganj was the highest, standing 192cm above the danger mark, followed by the Matamuhuri at Lama (164cm), the Khowai at Habiganj town (140cm) and the Sangu at Bandarban (105cm).

The Monu River remained 73cm and 69cm above danger level at two stations, while the Kushiyara, Dhalai and Matamuhuri rivers also exceeded warning levels at several locations.

Of the country’s 127 river monitoring stations, water levels were rising at 79, falling at 43 and unchanged at five.

The FFWC said exceptionally heavy rainfall over the past three days affected Chattogram, Sylhet, Mymensingh and Rangpur divisions, as well as adjoining Indian states.

Chattogram received 815mm of rain during the period, Lama 518mm and Cox’s Bazar 330mm.

Separately, the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) recorded the country’s highest 24-hour rainfall of 211mm in Chattogram.

The FFWC forecast up to 350mm of additional rainfall over Bandarban and Cox’s Bazar during the next three days, with 250-300mm expected in Chattogram, Feni, Lakshmipur and Noakhali, and up to 150mm in Sylhet, Sunamganj, Netrokona, Sherpur, Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat and Kurigram.

Rising river levels in India’s Tripura and West Bengal were also increasing flood risks in Bangladesh.

The FFWC warned that the Teesta River could cross the danger level within the next 24 to 48 hours, while flooding in the Sangu and Matamuhuri basins was expected to persist for another one to two days.

Water levels in Sylhet, Sunamganj, Netrokona, Sherpur and Mymensingh were also likely to continue rising.

In Moulvibazar, floodwaters breached the Monu River embankment in Rajnagar upazila, inundating at least 15 villages and leaving nearly 10,000 people marooned across Tengra and Kamarchak unions. Sections of local roads and Tarapasha Bazar also went under water.

In neighbouring Habiganj, around 30,000 people across four unions in three upazilas were stranded after the Khowai River embankment collapsed in Laskarpur union.

Floodwater spread into parts of Habiganj town, while authorities opened a control room and allocated Tk5 lakh, 100 tonnes of rice and 1,820 packets of dry food for emergency relief. Many residents moved to higher ground with their families and livestock.

River erosion also intensified in Chunarughat upazila, threatening at least 15 Harijan families, schools and public buildings, while parts of the Habiganj-Mirpur road were submerged, raising fears of further disruption to road communications.

In Chattogram division, heavy rain and hill runoff triggered multiple landslides that have killed at least 30 people, according to Disaster Management and Relief Adviser Asadul Habib Dulu.

Floodwater also submerged sections of the Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar highway, while at least six people, including four children, drowned in separate flood-related incidents across Banshkhali, Satkania, Hathazari and Anwara over the past two days.

The Chattogram Education Board postponed Saturday’s HSC and equivalent examinations across Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagrachhari.

Alim and technical board examinations in the same districts were also deferred after earlier postponements this week.

The Cabinet Division assigned State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Anindya Islam Amit to coordinate relief operations in Chattogram and the Chattogram Hill Tracts, including damage assessment, monitoring relief stocks and overseeing rescue efforts.

Prime Minister’s Press Secretary Saleh Shibli said the prime minister had instructed all authorities to provide immediate assistance to flood-affected people and was closely monitoring the evolving situation nationwide.

Meanwhile, the BMD warned of heavy to very heavy rainfall across all eight divisions over the next 24 hours under the influence of an active monsoon, cautioning that further landslides could occur in the Chattogram hill districts and temporary waterlogging was likely in Dhaka and Chattogram cities.