Thunderstorm kills 303 in eight months

Al Mamun Harun Ur Rashid:

At least 303 people have died in lightning strikes across Bangladesh in the last eight months, according to a report released by Save the Society and Thunderstorm Awareness Forum.

The forum said that between February and September 30 this year, 297 people were killed and 73 others injured in lightning strikes. Among the deceased were 242 men, 55 women including six adolescent girls, and 11 children. Seventeen teenage boys were also among the male victims.
The monthly breakdown shows one death in February, nine in March, 31 in April, 96 in May, 77 in June, 19 in July, 17 in August, and 47 in September. Most of the victims were men working outdoors during storms.

The highest numbers of deaths were recorded in Brahmanbaria, Joypurhat, Habiganj, Feni, Cox’s Bazar, and Gaibandha. Agricultural work remains the deadliest context for lightning strikes, claiming 152 lives of farmers so far this year. Eighteen of them died while bringing cattle home.
At least 52 fishermen were killed while fishing, 11 people died while collecting mangoes, 15 while walking on open roads, nd 27 while inside their homes. Three people were killed during stone extraction, 14 children and teenagers died while playing in courtyards, and one person was struck while inside a vehicle.

Meanwhile, on Sunday six new fatalities were reported in Cumilla, Naogaon, Jhenaidah, and Bogura.

In Cumilla’s Homna upazila, three people including two women were killed around 3:30 pm when lightning struck near Bhabanipur Ghat in Ghagutia union. The victims were identified as Jakia Begum, 35, Momtaz Begum, 30, and an unidentified man (40) from Khodedawudpur village. Homna Upazila Nirbahi Officer Khemalika Chakma said local authorities are providing support to the victims’ families.

In Naogaon Sadar upazila, a fisherman named Mofiz Uddin Basu, 60, of Bhimpur village under Hansaigari union, was killed by lightning while fishing in Hansaigari Beel. Union Parishad Chairman Jasim Uddin Molla confirmed that the body was recovered and handed over to his family.
Two farmers were reportedly killed when lightning struck them while working in the fields in Jhenaidah district. A 30-year-old farmer Shimul Biswas of Armukhi village died when lightning struck him in Sadar Upazila while Harmat Sheikh, 55, of Shekhar village from Shailakupa Upazila was killed by lightning in the morning.
In Bogura’s Gabtoli upazila, 55-year-old Shefali Begum of Naruyamala union was struck by lightning and died while cutting grass for her cattle near the Ichamoti River. Gabtoli Model Police Station Officer-in-Charge Serajul Haque said the body was recovered and legal formalities are underway.

According to the Department of Disaster Management, a total of 3,867 people have died in lightning strikes in the country between 2011 and April 28, 2025. A report published last year showed that 252 people died in the first eight months of 2024, including 152 farmers.

Experts say most lightning fatalities occur during agricultural work, fishing, and other outdoor activities, and around 17 percent of victims each year are children.

“The frequency of lightning strikes this year is higher than in previous years. Such phenomena tend to occur every five to six years due to erratic weather and climate change,” Abdul Alim, Chief of the Research Cell at Save the Society and Thunderstorm Awareness Forum, told the New Nation on Sunday.

He said both government and non-government organisations have taken initiatives to reduce deaths, including planting palm trees which act as natural lightning conductors.

However, these trees take around 20 years to mature. In cities, lightning prevention rods are installed on buildings, but in rural and open spaces people remain exposed and vulnerable, he explained.

Alim said that in haor, beel, and coastal regions such as Kishoreganj, Sunamganj, and Satkhira, some shelter centres have been set up with lightning rods by the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, though their number remains limited.”

He urged the government to increase these facilities to protect more lives. He warned that if climate patterns continue to shift unpredictably, lightning will remain a major natural threat for rural communities across Bangladesh.