The flood situation is slowly improving as the water levels of major rivers in the northeastern, eastern, and southeastern regions of the country continue to decrease.
However, the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief reported on Saturday that the devastating floods, the worst the country has seen in three decades, have claimed 18 lives so far and affected over 5.1 million people in 11 districts.
According to the latest bulletin from the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC), water levels at 24 river stations have marked rise, while 86 stations recorded a fall.
Among the 116 monitored river stations, water levels at five stations have remained steady, while water levels at nine stations are flowing above the danger level, the bulletin issued by the FFWC said.
The bulletin further noted that no significant rainfall was recorded in the eastern districts of Cumilla, Brahmanbaria, and Feni over the past 24 hours, while water levels in upstream rivers continued to recede. As a result, the flood situation in the low-lying areas of Moulvibazar, Habiganj, Feni, Cumilla, and Chattogram districts has been improving since Friday and continues to do so.
There is little likelihood of heavy rainfall in the northeastern parts of the country and the adjacent upstream regions in the next 24 hours, the bulletin said.
During this period, the water levels of the Manu, Khowai, and Dhalai rivers in Moulvibazar and Habiganj districts may decrease, leading to further improvement in the flood situation in the surrounding low-lying areas.
Similarly, no heavy rainfall is expected in the southeastern, eastern, and adjacent upland regions of the country over the next 24 hours. The water levels of the Muhuri, Feni, Gumti, and Halda rivers in the Feni, Cumilla, and Chattogram districts may decrease, with corresponding improvements in the flood situation in nearby low-lying areas.
Brahmaputra-Jamuna River’s water level is decreasing, while the Ganga-Padma River water level is steady, which may continue for the next 48 hours, the bulletin continued.
In the northeastern part of the country, the water levels of the Surma and Kushiyara rivers are receding, a trend that is likely to continue over the next 24 hours. Meanwhile, the water levels of the Teesta, Dharla, and Dudhkumar rivers in the northern region are stable, and normal flow is expected to persist over the next 48 hours.
Flood situation worsens
Our correspondent in Cumilla reports that the flood situation has worsened in the district, with new areas being inundated over the past 24 hours, leaving 7,00,000 people stranded as of Saturday. During this period, the Gumti River was flowing 80 cm above its danger mark, exacerbating the crisis.
According to the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, the devastating floods have claimed 18 lives so far and affected over 4.9 million people across 77 upazilas in 11 districts.
Among the fatalities, four were reported in Cumilla, one in Feni, five in Chattogram, three in Noakhali, one each in Brahmanbaria and Lakshmipur, and three in Cox's Bazar, as per the latest updates from the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief.
The ongoing floods, which began on August 20, have triggered a humanitarian crisis in the affected districts, including Feni, Cumilla, Khagrachari, Noakhali, Chattogram, Moulvibazar, Habiganj, Brahmanbaria, Sylhet, Lakshmipur, and Cox's Bazar.
So far, some 50,93,539 people have been affected and a total of 3,513 shelter centres have been opened where 3,01,993 people and 21,695 cattle took shelter. The floods have impacted 587 unions and municipalities across 77 upazilas in 11 districts.
Power outages
According to data from the Ministry of Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources, approximately 9,28,000 subscribers across nine flood-affected districts in the southeastern regions of the country are currently without power.
The ministry reports that in Feni, the hardest-hit district, 17 substations have been shut down, leaving around 4,41,000 customers without electricity.
In other affected districts—Chandpur, Noakhali, Lakshmipur, Chattogram, Cumilla, Cox's Bazar, Moulvibazar, and Brahmanbaria—no substations have been closed.
However, 107 out of 905 feeders, which are distribution lines that transmit power from substations to customers, have been taken offline.
Roads and highways affected
As the flood situation shows signs of improvement, the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) has estimated that at least 462 kilometres of roads under its jurisdiction have been affected due to floods.
Of these, 90.63 kilometres are national highways, 52.88 kilometres are regional highways, and 318.70 kilometres are district roads.
The RHD also noted that heavy rainfall and flooding have submerged many roads, while strong currents have washed away sections of others. Potholes have developed on several roads due to prolonged exposure to floodwaters.
Additionally, around 10 kilometres of the Dhaka-Chattogram highway in the Chauddagram area of Cumilla have been inundated, and landslides have disrupted communication in the hilly regions.
Coordinated rescue & medical response
Rescue operations are underway in the flood-hit areas, with the Army, Navy, Coast Guard, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), fire service, civil defence, and student volunteers coordinating efforts with the district administration.
A total of 769 medical teams have been kept prepared to provide medical treatment in the flood affected areas and the army personnel and district civil surgeons are providing medical services as well.
Besides, adequate relief materials have been stocked in all districts of the country, said the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief adding that the deputy commissioners of the flood-affected districts have been instructed to work together in coordination with the coordinator of the Boishommo Birodhi Chhatra Andolon, army, navy, medical team and other volunteers.
A control room has been opened in the ministry to monitor the flood situation and a hotline number 02-55101115 was opened to provide immediate services.
Advisor and secretary to the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief visited the flood affected areas to monitor the flood situation and the adviser is currently staying at Feni.
A nation united
In a remarkable display of solidarity, citizens and volunteer groups across the country have joined forces with the government to provide critical relief to those affected by the floods. From Dhaka to the most remote regions, people are working together to deliver essential supplies and rescue stranded victims.
Across the nation, individuals and non-governmental organisations are loading covered vans, trucks, and pick-up vehicles with dry food, essential medicines, safe drinking water, and staple items like rice and lentils. Cash donations are also being directly handed to those impacted by the floods.
In addition to these efforts, volunteers from various regions are transporting boats and speedboats by truck to flood-hit areas to aid in rescue operations. Many have noted that the unity being displayed in response to this disaster is unlike anything they have witnessed before.
University-led relief efforts
At Dhaka University's Teacher-Student Centre (TSC), donations have been pouring in since last Thursday from people of all backgrounds. The “Gonotran” (Mass Relief Collection) initiative, organised by Boishommo Birodhi Chhatra Andolon, has received overwhelming support.
Thousands of people have participated, contributing cash and relief supplies. On the first day alone, substantial amounts of food, clothing, sanitary napkins, and several lakh taka were collected.
By Friday afternoon, the flow of donations had only increased, with trucks, pick-ups, vans, rickshaws, and private cars arriving at TSC filled with relief materials for those affected by the floods.
Institutional support & free services
Meanwhile, numerous government and private institutions have also joined the cause, with employees donating a day's salary to support the flood victims.
In addition to these major initiatives, students are collecting donations at several locations across Dhaka. Youth groups in neighbourhoods are also gathering funds and supplies to support those impacted by the floods.
The police, army, navy, air force, coast guard, and fire service are actively engaged in assisting residents in flood-affected areas. These forces are distributing dry and cooked food and conducting rescue operations using helicopters in the most severely impacted regions.
Members of the Bangladesh Army have donated one day’s salary to the “Chief Adviser’s Relief Fund,” while employees of various government and private organisations have contributed through platforms like Nagad and bKash. Several autonomous institutions have also established additional relief funds.
In support of those affected by the floods, the country's leading mobile operators—Grameenphone, Banglalink, Robi, Airtel, and the state-owned Teletalk—have announced free talk time and internet packages.
Ensuring network stability
Meanwhile, to ensure the mobile network remains operational in the flood-ravaged Feni district, Nahid Islam, the Adviser on Posts, Telecommunications, and Information Technology, has instructed that telecom operators be provided with free diesel to keep the tower generators running.
Issuing this directive at the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) on Saturday, he stated, "Due to the lack of electricity, a significant amount of diesel is required to keep the 78 mobile network towers in Feni district operational."
