We must stand together to help flood-affected people

We're worried about the worsening flood situation in the eastern and southeastern regions of Bangladesh where vast swathes of land have been submerged over the last few days, laying bare the vulnerability of even areas previously deemed protected from large-scale flooding. 

The floods, submerging 357 unions across eight districts as of Thursday afternoon, left more than 4.4 lakh families stranded and a total of three million affected, as per an estimate. Moreover, at least five people died in flash floods on Thursday. 

These numbers are set to rise should the downpours and swelling of rivers by the onrush of water from India continue. Against this backdrop, the urgency of improved, coordinated response to ensure the safety of flood-hit communities cannot be overstated.

Among the eight districts affected, the situation in Feni, Cumilla, Noakhali, Chattogram, Khagrachari, and Moulvibazar is particularly distressing. The situation in Feni—especially in Chhagalnaiya, Phulgazi, and Parshuram upazilas—has been described as unprecedented, with nearly every house inundated. This has caused a massive humanitarian crisis. 

The municipal towns are unrecognisable under the deluge. Roads remain impassable, and the call for speedboats and helicopters to expedite rescue efforts has gone largely unanswered. While the interim government is doing the best it can, ongoing aid and rescue efforts have caused frustration among local residents.

In Khagrachari, the situation has been equally troubling. Continuous rain and runoff from the hills have submerged over 100 villages across the nine sub-districts of Khagrachari, making this the worst flood recorded since 1988. In this and other hilly districts of Chattogram, there is the added risk of widespread landslides. 

Many fear that deadly landslides similar to those in 2017 may occur, with people living on the hillsides or slopes being urged to relocate to safer areas or shelters. 

The inadequacy of shelters and relief efforts, exacerbated by the difficulty of reaching remote areas, has emerged as another concern in flood-hit areas. Equally troubling has been the disruption in communications and power supply—with several areas entirely disconnected—further isolating the vulnerable populations.